Hand-Book 


F  O  R 


Horsewomen. 


,.  H.L.DE  BUSSIGNY. 

i. 

k 


Bo. 


Av^O^ 


TUFTS   UNIVERSITY   LIBRARIES 


3   9090   013   407   479 


Webster  Fam%  Lfcrary  of  Veterinary  Medicine 
Cummings  Schcoi  of  Veterinary  Medicine  at 
Tiiits  University 
200  Westboro  Road 
North  Grafton,  MA  01536 


HAND-BOOK 


FOR 


HORSEWOMEN. 


BY 


H.  L.  De  BUSSIGNY, 

FORMERLY  LIEUTENANT  OF   CAVALRY  AND   INSTRUCTOR  OF   RIDING 
IN  THE  FRENCH  ARMY. 


NEW  YORK: 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY, 

I,    3,   AND    5    BOND   STREET. 

1884. 


Copyright,  1884, 
By  D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY. 


P  REFA  C  E. 


For  many  years  two  styles  of  riding  have 
prevailed  in  Western  Europe — the  English  and 
the  continental  or  school  system.  The  two  are 
usually  supposed  to  be  somewhat  antagonistic, 
so  much  so  that  the  followers  of  each  are  not 
unapt  to  regard  the  other  with  feelings  of 
more  or  less  dislike,  not  to  say  contempt ;  the 
one  side  being  sneered  at  as  pedants,  the  other 
despised  as  barbarians.  To  the  unprejudiced 
both  seem  somewhat  unreasonable. 

The  English  method,  originating  in  the 
national  taste  for  field  sports,  has  developed  a 
race  of  horsemen  worthy  of  that  noblest  of 
animals,  the  thorough-bred  horse.  The  chief 
essential  for  the  race-course  and  the  hunting- 
field,  however,  being  high  speed  on  lines  that 
are  practically  straight,  the  tendency  of  Eng- 
lishmen is  to  leave  their  horses  very  much 
alone,  provided  they  can  gallop  and  jump  and 
are  sufficiently  under  control  not  to  run  away, 


PREFACE. 


the  rider  usually  keeping  a  pretty  even  press- 
ure on  the  bit  and  making  comparatively  little 
attempt  to  regulate  the  animal's  action  by  the 
use  of  his  own  legs. 

The  school,  on  the  other  hand,  is  the  nursery 
of  cavalry ;  and,  for  the  army,  speed  is  not  so 
much  needed  as  uniformity  of  movement  and 
general  handiness  in  rapid  and  complicated 
evolutions.  Hence  the  great  military  riders 
of  the  continent  have  aimed  at  bringing  the 
horse  under  complete  control,  and  to  this  end 
they  have  applied  themselves  to  the  problem 
of  mastering  his  hind  legs,  which  are  the  pro- 
pelling power,  and  therefore  the  seat  of  resist- 
ance. And  it  is  precisely  this  subjection  that 
horses  dislike  and  try  to  evade  with  the  ut- 
most persistence.  To  accomplish  the  result, 
the  rider  is  taught  so  to  use  his  own  legs  and 
spurs  as  to  bring  the  animal's  hind  legs  under 
him,  and  thus  carry  him  forward,  instead  of 
letting  him  go  forward  in  his  own  way,  as  the 
Enghsh  do.  By  balancing  the  effect  of  leg  and 
spur  upon  the  hind  quarters,  against  the  effect 
of  hand  and  bit  upon  the  mouth,  the  horse  is 
brought  into  a  position  of  equilibrium  between 
the  two,  either  at  rest  or  in  motion ;  he  is  then 
in  complete  subjection,  and  can  be  moved  in 
any  direction  at  his  master's  will.     This  is  the 


PREFACE.  5 

basis  of  the  whole  manege  system,  and  it  is 
thus  that  horses  are  made  to  passage^  to  piaffer^ 
or  even  to  trot  backward. 

The  objection  to  the  method  is  that,  as  equi- 
librium is  gained,  initiative  is  diminished,  and 
this,  together  with  the  pedantry  of  the  old-fash- 
ioned professors  of  the  haute  ^coky  served  to 
bring  the  whole  theory  into  disrepute. 

Looked  at  impartially,  nevertheless,  it  must 
be  admitted  that  each  system  is  well  adapted 
to  accomplish  its  own  peculiar  objects,  and 
thus  it  seems  at  least  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  ordinary  people  may  be  the  better  for 
learning  something  from  both. 

Amateurs,  and  especially  ladies,  do  not  ex- 
pect to  confine  themselves  to  the  silk  jacket  or 
even  to  the  hunting-field,  any  more  than  they 
propose  to  give  haute  ^cole  exhibitions  in  the 
circus.  What  the  majority  of  men  and  women 
need  for  the  park,  the  road,  or  even  for  hunt- 
ing, is  well-bitted,  well-gaited  animals,  with 
light  mouths,  broken  to  canter  on  either  leg, 
and  easily  gathered  for  a  jump. 

But  such  horses  when  bought  are  not  to  be 
ridden  off-hand.  To  begin  with,  the  finer  the 
training  the  more  likely  the  beast  is  to  turn 
restive  if  the  rider  leans  on  the  reins.  A  seat 
independent  of  rein  and  stirrup  is  therefore 


6  PREFACE. 

the  first  requisite.  Secondly,  supposing  the 
seat  satisfactory,  no  one  can  know,  by  the  light 
of  nature,  how  to  stop  a  highly-broken  horse, 
to  say  nothing  of  making  it  change  its  leg  or 
gather  for  a  jump.  A  certain  amount  of  the 
art  of  management  must  therefore  be  learned  to 
make  an  accomplished  rider. 

Now,  beginners  can  get  a  seat  in  one  of  two 
ways.  As  children  in  the  country  they  may  be 
brought  up  on  horseback,  as  they  often  are  in 
the  Southern  States  and  in  England,  in  which 
case  the  difficulty  will  quickly  settle  itself ;  and 
this  is  doubtless  best  if  practicable.  But  sup- 
posing it  to  be  impossible,  a  pupil  may  be  well 
taught  by  exercises  in  the  school,  just  as  officers 
are  taught  at  West  Point  or  at  Saumur.  One 
thing  alone  is  certain:  seat  can  never  be  ac- 
quired by  desultory  riding  or  by  riding  exclu- 
sively on  the  roads  or  in  parks. 

Next,  as  to  management.  Without  doubt 
the  English  dash  and  energy  —  in  a  word, 
rough-riding  —  is  the  first  essential  for  any 
one  who  hopes  to  be  either  safe  or  happy  on 
a  horse.  It  is  the  foundation,  without  which 
nothing  can  avail.  It  means  seat,  confidence, 
and  decision.  Yet  there  is  something  more 
that  may  be  learned  without  at  all  impair- 
ing these  qualities.     To  handle  the  horse  rap- 


PREFACE.  7 

idly  and  neatly,  a  control  more  or  less  com- 
plete must  be  established  over  his  hind  legs. 
In  no  other  fashion  can  the  thing-  be  done. 
To  attain  this,  it  is  not  necessary  or  even  de- 
sirable to  go  into  all  the  niceties  of  the  haute 
^cole.  Horsemen  want  to  arrive  at  certain 
practical  results  for  their  own  safety  and  com- 
fort, and  the  problem  to  be  solved  is,  how  to 
accomplish  them  by  rational  and  gentle  means. 

Ladies  certainly  do  not  care  to  passage  in 
the  streets,  but  they  do  want  to  know  how  to 
stop  their  horses  cleverly  when  they  take 
fright,  to  turn  their  corners  neatly  at  the  trot 
without  danger  of  a  fall,  and  to  avoid  instantly 
any  obstacle  they  may  unexpectedly  meet.  It 
is  also  well  to  understand  something  of  the 
simpler  methods  of  regulating  gaits.  All 
these  things  may  be  learned  best  by  studying 
the  rudiments  of  the  school  system,  and  it  is 
with  rudiments  only  that  this  treatise  pretends 
to  deal. 

During  the  last  twenty -five  years  many 
hand-books  on  equitation  have  been  written  for 
men,  but  few  for  women.  This  is  the  more 
remarkable  as  a  woman's  seat  is  such  that  she 
can  not  produce  the  same  effects  or  use  the 
same  means  as  a  man.  Instruction  for  him  is 
therefore  largely  useless  for  her.     Men  astride 


8  PREFACE. 

of  a  horse  hold  him  between  their  legs  and 
hands  in  a  grip  from  which  he  can  not  escape, 
and  can  direct  and  force  him  with  all  the  reso- 
lution and  energy  they  possess.  Women,  sit- 
ting on  the  left  side,  must  supply  the  place  of 
the  right  leg  as  well  as  they  can.  They  are,  of 
course,  obliged  to  resort  to  various  expedi- 
ents, all  more  or  less  artificial  and  unsatis- 
factory certainly,  but  still  the  best  they  can 
command.  Yet  it  is  for  these  very  reasons  far 
more  important  for  women  than  for  men  to 
understand  the  art  of  management,  since  they 
must  rely  entirely  on  tact,  skill,  and  knowledge, 
not  only  to  overcome  the  difficulties  of  the 
cramped  and  unnatural  seat  imposed  on  them 
by  fashion,  but  to  supply  their  lack  of  physical 
strength.  Still,  there  is  no  reason  for  discour- 
agement, for  that  these  obstacles  can  be  sur- 
mounted by  intelligence  and  patience,  and  that 
women  can  learn  to  ride  on  something  like 
an  equality  with  the  best  men,  the  number 
of  undoubtedly  fine  horsewomen  sufficiently 
proves. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Introduction ii 

CHAPTER  I. 

Mounting — Dismounting — The    position    on   horseback  — 

Manner  of  holding  the  reins     .  ....     22 

CHAPTER  II. 

Exercises  of  pupils  in  private  lessons — Words  of  command 
— Walking — Turning  to  the  right  or  left — Voltes  and 
reversed  Voltes — Trotting 38 

CHAPTER  III. 

Classes— Successive  and  individual  movements — The  gal- 
lop— Leaping — Suggestions  for  riding  on  the  road        .     51 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Resistances  of  the  horse       . 66 


INTRODUCTION. 

It  has  been  held  by  some  professors  of  the  art 
of  horsemanship  that  it  is  impossible  for  a  lady  to 
ride  with  as  much  ease  and  as  much  control  of  her 
horse  as  a  man,  on  account  of  the  disadvantages  of 
her  high  saddle  and  the  absence  of  the  right  leg  as 
a  controlling  agent  ;  but  the  result  of  my  experience 
has  shown  me  that  this  is  a  mistaken  opinion.  Under 
the  systems  according  to  which  riding  was  formerly 
taught,  however,  the  judgment  was  a  just  one,  because 
the  object  to  be  attained  was  the  maintenance  of  the 
horse  in  what  may  be  called  a  state  of  momentary 
equilibrium,  or  equilibrium  of  the  second  degree,  by 
means  of  a  double  bit,  curb  and  snaffle,  aided  by  re- 
peated slight  pressure  of  the  spurs.  Under  the  more 
modern  system  the  double  bit  is  often  replaced  by  a 
simple  snaffle  with  one  direct  rein  and  one  passing 
through  a  running  martingale.  The  results  obtained 
are  more  scientific  and  delicate,  and  the  horse  may 
be  kept  in  a  state  of  sustained  equilibrium,  or  equi- 
librium of  the  first  degree,  in  which  condition  he  is 
entirely  under  the  control  of  the  lady  who  knows 
how  to  make  a  judicious  use  of  her  whip  in  place  of 
the  absent  spur. 


12  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

There  are  two  very  different  ways  of  riding  ;  the 
more  usual,  because  the  easier,  consists  in  letting  the 
horse  go  forward  at  a  walk,  a  trot,  or  a  gallop,  the 
rider  contenting  herself  with  guiding  him,  and  stay- 
ing on  his  back  ;  while,  in  the  other,  the  will  as  well 
as  the  action  of  the  animal  is  controlled,  and  he  is 
carried  forward  in  obedient  and  intelligent  sym- 
pathy with  his  rider.  This  requires  study,  tact, 
and  discretion  ;  but  the  result  well  repays  the  labor, 
and,  until  it  is  reached,  no  lady,  however  well  she 
may  look  on  horseback,  can  be  reckoned  a  horse- 
woman. 

I  can  not  too  strongly  recommend  to  parents  the 
greatest  care  in  the  choice  of  a  teacher  for  their  chil- 
dren, as  in  later  years  it  always  takes  more  time  and 
trouble  to  correct  bad  habits  than  it  would  have 
done  to  acquire  good  ones  in  the  beginning.  As  a 
general  rule,  riding-teachers  are  promoted  grooms,  or 
men  of  that  class,  who  may  be  able  to  show  boys 
how  to  become  good  rough-riders,  but  who  are  quite 
incompetent  to  teach  a  young  lady  the  scientific 
principles  by  which  alone  she  can  obtain  a  thorough 
mastery  of  her  horse. 

And  here  I  hope  that  my  readers  will  allow  me 
to  offer  them,  with  the  deepest  respect,  a  few  sug- 
gestions in  regard  to  dress,  as  years  of  teaching  have 
shown  me  that  much  of  a  lady's  power  on  horseback 
depends  upon  her  feeling  at  ease  in  the  saddle,  and 
consequently  free  to  give  her  attention  to  her  teacher 
and  her  horse. 


IN  TROD  UCTION,  1 3 

For  full  dress,  such  as  park-riding,  no  hat  is  so 
distinguished  as  a  plain  high  silk  one  ;  but  in  the  rid- 
ing-house, or  in  the  country,  the  low  Derby  shape,  or 
a  soft  felt,  is  now  generally  worn.  If  the  shape  is 
stiff,  it  should  be  carefully  fitted  to  the  head,  for 
greater  security  and  to  avoid  the  risk  of  headache, 
and  in  any  case  an  elastic  should  hold  it  firmly  in 
place.  Little  girls  usually  wear  their  hair  flowing 
on  their  shoulders,  which  saves  trouble  ;  but  older 
riders  should  braid  it  closely  to  the  back  of  the  head 
below  the  hat,  and  pin  it  very  securely,  as  the  motion 
of  the  horse  is  apt  to  shake  it  loose,  and  a  teacher 
can  scarcely  expect  much  attention  from  a  pupil 
whose  hat  vacillates  on  her  head  at  every  step,  or 
who  is  obliged  to  stop  her  horse  in  order  to  replace 
rebellious  hair-pins. 

It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  rule  that  ornaments  of 
every  kind,  and  even  flowers,  charming  as  they  are 
at  other  times  when  worn  by  a  lady,  are  out  of  place 
now  that  horsewomen  have  deigned  to  copy  in  their 
dress  the  simplicity  of  the  sterner  sex.  Rings  are 
especially  to  be  avoided,  as  they  are  apt  to  cause  the 
fingers  to  swell,  and  thus  hinder  a  firm  grasp  of  the 
reins. 

The  best  gloves  are  of  thin,  flexible  dog-skin, 
and  they  should  be  a  size  larger  than  those  usually 
worn,  to  allow  the  hand  and  wrist  as  much  freedom 
as  possible. 

If  a  lady  does  not  object  to  sacrificing  appear- 
ances, she  will  find  great  benefit  from  riding  some- 


14  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

times  without  gloves.  A  horse's  mouth  is  often  a 
very  delicate  instrument,  and  the  vibrations  which 
it  gives  to  the  reins  are  felt  much  more  readily  by 
the  bare  hand. 

Tailors  almost  always  try  to  make  a  habit  very 
tight  fitting,  especially  at  the  waist ;  but  a  lady's  po- 
sition on  horseback  is  at  best  an  artificial  one,  and 
unless  she  is  at  ease  in  her  habit  she  will  never  look 
at  home  on  her  horse.  The  constraint  caused  by  a 
tight  collar  or  arm-hole  soon  becomes  intolerable, 
and  the  chances  are  that  a  tight  waist  will  give  the 
rider  a  pain  in  her  side  if  her  horse  leaves  a  walk. 

Whether  trousers  or  breeches  are  worn,  they 
should  fit  closely,  and  no  seams  should  be  allowed 
where  they  will  come  between  the  wearer  and  the 
saddle,  for  a  seam,  or  even  a  fold,  is  apt  in  a  short 
time  to  mean  a  blister.  Trousers  should  be  kept  in 
place  by  straps  of  cloth  about  two  inches  wide,  which 
pass  under  the  feet.  Gaiters  are  warm  and  comfort- 
able for  winter  ;  but  care  must  be  taken  to  have  very 
flat  buttons  on  the  outside  of  the  right  leg,  as  that 
presses  against  the  flaps  of  the  saddle  ;  and,  for  the 
same  reason,  when  breeches  and  boots  are  worn, 
the  buttons  which  fasten  the  former  above  the  ankle 
should  be  on  the  inside  of  the  right  leg.'""  It  is  bet- 
ter to  wear  laced  boots  instead  of  buttoned,  with 
trousers,  because  the  Victoria  stirrup,  which  is  now 
generally  used,  is  liable  to  press  against  the  buttons 
and  catch  them  in  a  way  that  is  uncomfortable,  and 
may  be  on  occasion  even  dangerous. 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

Woven  merino  under- clothing  will  be  found  more 
comfortable  than  linen,  as  that  is  apt  to  get  into  folds 
and  wrinkles,  and  ladies  may  also  find  it  convenient 
to  have  their  collars  and  cuffs  attached  to  a  sort 
of  shirt,  as  that  will  remove  the  necessity  for  pins 
and  elastics,  which  are  always  likely  to  get  out  of 
place. 

Although  her  single  spur  is  at  times  a  most  valu- 
able adjunct  to  a  lady,  it  should  never  be  worn  by 
beginners,  nor  until  its  use  has  been  thoroughly 
taught  in  the  course  of  study. 

It  is  with  regret  that  I  see  the  riding-whip  be- 
coming superseded  by  the  handle  of  the  English 
hunting-crop,  as  this  is  neither  rational  nor  practical, 
being  too  short  and  light  to  replace  the  right  leg 
advantageously  or  to  give  efficient  punishment  if  it 
is  needed.  A  good  whip,  flexible,  without  being 
limp,  rather  long  than  short,  not  too  heavy,  but  well 
balanced,  is  best,  especially  in  the  riding-school. 

I  would  strongly  recommend  to  parents  that, 
when  a  daughter  begins  to  ride,  it  should  be  on  her 
own  saddle,  made  on  her  measure,  or  at  least  amply 
large  for  her,  as  riding  on  a  short  saddle  leads  to  a 
cramped  and  ungraceful  seat.  The  correct  size 
should  allow  the  space  of  three  fingers  between  the 
end  of  the  saddle  and  the  base  of  the  spine,  when 
the  right  knee  is  round  the  second  pommel.  Some 
teachers  recommend  that  the  saddles  of  young  pu- 
pils should  be  covered  with  buckskin,  and  this  is 
often  very  useful ;   but  when  a  firm  and  well-bal- 


l6  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN,  ' 

anced  seat  is  once  acquired,  there  is  nothing  like 
pig-skin. 

The  third  pommel,  or  leaping-horn,  is  an  impor- 
tant and  now  almost  invariable  addition  to  a  lady's 
saddle,  and  should  be  so  placed  that  it  does  not 
press,  nor  even  touch,  the  left  leg,  while  it  is  not 
needed,  and  yet  so  that  its  aid  may  be  obtained  at 
any  time  by  slightly  drawing  up  the  left  leg.  It 
should  stand  out  enough  from  the  saddle  to  cover 
the  top  of  the  thigh,  and  be  slightly  curved  but 
not  too  much.  I  have  seen  this  pommel  made  so 
long  and  so  sharply  curved  that  the  left  leg  was  fairly 
inclosed,  and  this  may  be  dangerous.  As  it  is  mov- 
able, a  pupil  need  not  be  allowed  to  become  depend- 
ent on  it ;  nor  should  it  be  too  tightly  screwed  into 
place,  as,  during  a  long  ride  or  lesson,  it  is  some- 
times a  relief  for  a  lady  to  be  able  to  turn  it  slightly. 
The  slipper  stirrup  is  often  used  for  children  and 
beginners,  and  has  the  advantage  of  being  warm  in 
winter,  but  the  disadvantage  that  a  habit  of  pushing 
the  foot  too  far  home  is  easily  acquired,  and  not  so 
easily  got  rid  of  when  the  Victoria,  or,  better  still,  a 
plain,  open  stirrup,  is  used  later. 

The  material  and  workmanship  of  a  saddle 
should  be  of  the  best  quality,  and  the  less  stitching 
and  ornamentation  the  better.  Style  on  horseback 
depends  on  simplicity. 

Girths  seem  to  hold  better  if  crossed — that  is  to 
say,  if  the  girth  which  is  buckled  to  the  forward 
strap  on  the  right  side  of  the  saddle  is  fastened  to 


IN  TROD  UCTION. 


17 


the  second  strap  on  the  left ;  and  the  saddle  should 
be  so  firm  in  its  place  that  a  lady  may  hang  for  a 
moment  by  her  hands  from  the  first  pommel  on  the 
right  side,  or  the  second  on  the  left,  without  causing 
it  to  shift  its  position.  The  stirrup-leather  should 
pass  under  the  horse  outside  the  girths,  and  be 
connected  with  another  strap  on  the  right  side  of 
the  saddle,  in  order  to  counterbalance  the  pressure 
on  the  stirrup.  I  may  as  well  say  here  that  a  lady's 
saddle  is  well  placed  when  there  is  a  space,  of  the 
breadth  of  four  fingers,  between  the  right  side  and 
the  upper  end  of  the  shoulder. 

I  am  accustomed  to  use  for  my  pupils  a  simple 
snaffle  with  double  reins  and  martingale,  as  by 
this  means  beginners  do  less  harm  to  the  mouth  ; 
and  my  own  experience,  as  well  as  that  of  many 
others  who  have  given  it  a  thorough  trial,  is  that  this 
bit  is  preferable  to  any  other  for  the  riding-school, 
the  road,  or  perhaps  even  for  hunting,  both  on  ac- 
count of  the  simplicity  of  its  effects  upon  the  horse 
and  of  its  mildness,  so  much  greater  than  that  of 
the  curb,  which  often  irritates  and  exasperates  a 
spirited  animal.  No  horses  are  more  ready  to  bolt 
than  the  thorough-breds  on  the  race-track,  yet  jock- 
eys never  ride  with  anything  but  a  snaffle.  They 
allow  their  horses  to  gain  a  pressure  on  the  bit,  and, 
as  the  jockey  pulls,  the  horse  quickens  his  pace.  If 
you  do  not  permit  your  horse  to  bear  on  the  bit,  you 
will  gain  by  its  simple  means  all  those  "  effects  of 
opposition  "  of  which  I  shall  speak  later,  and  which 


l8  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

are  difficult  to  master,  especially  for  beginners.  I 
am  aware  that  this  opinion  is  contrary  to  that  usu- 
ally held  both  here  and  in  Europe,  as  it  certainly  is 
to  the  teaching  of  Mr.  Baucher.  Yet,  as  it  is  the 
final  result  of  many  years  of  experience,  I  venture 
to  submit  it  to  the  public,  although  I  can  hardly 
hope  that  it  will  win  general  assent.  It  may  be 
necessary  to  add  that  success  with  the  snaffle  pre- 
supposes a  fine  seat  and  some  experience,  as  tact  and 
skill  must  replace  the  loss  of  leverage.  I  consider 
the  "  Baucher  "  snaffle  the  best,  as  the  bars  on  either 
side  prevent  it  from  slipping  into  the  horse's  mouth 
under  a  strong  lateral  pressure. 

Almost  all  riding-teachers  have  been  educated 
in  the  army,  where  the  reins  must  be  held  in  the 
left  hand,  to  leave  the  right  free  for  the  saber,  and 
they  continue  to  teach  as  they  were  taught,  with- 
out considering  that  in  civil  life  the  right  hand  is 
practically  unoccupied.  When  the  horse  is  moving 
in  a  straight  line,  it  is  easy  to  gather  the  reins  into 
one  hand  ;  but  when  the  rider  wishes  to  turn  him  to 
the  right  or  left,  or  make  him  give  to  the  bit,  two 
hands  are  just  twice  as  good  as  one,  and  I  can  see 
no  reason  for  always  riding  with  the  reins  in  one 
hand. 

I  have  been  often  asked  at  what  age  a  little  girl 
should  begin  to  ride,  and  I  should  suggest  eight 
years  as  a  reasonable  time.  If  a  child  begins  thus 
early,  it  is  as  well  that  she  should  take  her  first  half- 
dozen  lessons  in  her  jacket  and  trousers,  as  the  cor- 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

rect  position  of  the  legs  is  of  great  importance,  and 
it  is,  of  course,  much  more  difficult  for  a  teacher  to 
judge  of  this  through  a  skirt. 

Riding  lessons  are  best  begun  in  the  autumn,  as 
winter  is  apt  to  be  cold  for  beginners,  who  are  not 
able  to  keep  themselves  warm  by  trotting,  and  in 
summer  flies  often  make  the  horses  nervous,  which 
may  disturb  young  or  timid  pupils. 

The  duration  of  the  first  lesson  should  be  from 
twenty-five  to  forty-five  minutes.  The  older  the 
pupil  is  the  shorter  the  lesson  ought  to  be,  although 
this  rule  is  not  without  exceptions. 

The  usual  proportion  is  :  From  8  to  12  years,  45 
minutes  ;  from  12  to  20  years,  30  minutes  ;  after  20 
years,  25  minutes. 

After  the  first  five  or  six  lessons  they  may  be 
gradually  lengthened,  day  by  day,  until  an  hour  is 
reached,  and  one  hour  in  the  riding-school  under  in- 
struction, if  the  pupil  holds  herself  in  the  correct 
position,  is  sufficient.  When  the  lesson  is  over,  the 
pupil  should  rest  for  a  short  time  before  changing 
her  dress,  and  walk  about  a  little  in  order  to. re- 
establish a  free  circulation  of  the  blood.  It  is  al- 
ways wise  for  a  lady  to  walk  her  horse  for  at  least 
ten  minutes  before  she  dismounts,  both  for  his  sake 
and  her  own. 

The  morning  after  her  first  lesson  the  pupil  will 
feel  tired  and  stiff  all  over,  especially  in  the  shoul- 
ders, legs,  and  arms.  The  second  day  the  stiffness 
will  be  worse,  and  on  the  third  it  will  be  at  its  height. 


20  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

after  which  It  will  gradually  wear  away — that  is  to 
say,  if  she  continues  to  ride  every  day ;  but  if  she 
stops  between  her  lessons  the  stiffness  will  come 
back  after  each  one. 

If  a  child  has  any  organic  weakness,  the  teacher 
should,  of  course,  be  told  of  it,  in  order  that  he  may 
allow  intervals  for  rest  during  the  lesson  ;  and  it  is 
probably  needless  to  add  that  a  child  should  not  be 
allowed  to  ride  during  digestion.  Here  I  should  like 
to  say  a  few  words  to  the  pupils  themselves. 

Never  hesitate  to  ask  your  teacher  to  repeat  any- 
thing you  are  not  certain  you  understand.  Teachers 
often  take  too  much  for  granted,  and  in  riding  all 
depends  on  mastering  the  rudiments. 

Have  confidence  in  your  teacher,  and  do  not  be 
disappointed  if  your  progress  is  not  perfectly  regular. 
There  are  days  in  which  you  may  seem  able  to  do 
nothing  right,  and  this  is  discouraging,  and  may 
last  for  several  days  at  a  time  ;  but,  on  looking 
back  at  the  end  of  a  week,  or,  better  still,  a  month, 
you  will  see  how  much  ground  you  have  gained. 

Remember  that  upon  your  teacher  rests  a  grave 
responsibility.  Other  instructors  are  only  brought 
into  contact  with  one  will,  and  that  one  harmless  ; 
while  the  riding-master  has  to  deal  with  two  :  that  of 
the  pupil,  which  is  dangerous  from  inexperience, 
and  that  of  the  horse,  which  is  dangerous  from  his 
strength,  consequently  he  is  often  obliged  to  speak 
with  energy  in  order  to  keep  the  attention  of  the 
horses  as  well   as   their   riders.      To   ride  well  on 


IN  TROD  UCTION.  2 1 

horseback  is  to  place  yourself,  or  cause  yourself  to 
be  placed,  upon  a  saddle  ;  to  remain  there  at  ease 
in  a  position  which  has  been  calculated  and  regu- 
lated by  certain  rules,  and  to  make  your  horse  go 
when,  where,  and  as  you  will.  You  cannot  learn  to 
do  this  if  you  are  impatient  of  correction  or  sensi- 
tive to  criticism,  even  though  sometimes  severe. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Mounting — Dismounting — The    position  on   horseback — Man- 
ner of  holding  the  reins. 

MOUNTING. 

The  custom  which  prevails  in  many  riding-schools 
of  allowing  pupils  to  mount  from  steps  or  platforms 
seems  to  me  not  only  unscientific,  but  irrational,  un- 
less, indeed,  the  pupil  is  too  small,  too  old,  or  too 
stout  to  be  mounted  in  any  other  way  ;  unscientific, 
because  there  is  a  correct  and  prescribed  method  of 
mounting  from  the  ground,  and  irrational,  because,  if 
a  lady  dismounts  away  from  the  riding-school,  and 
has  not  been  taught  this  method,  she  will  be  obliged 
to  go  to  the  nearest  house  in  search  of  a  chair  or 
bench,  or  at  least  must  find  a  fallen  tree-trunk  or  a 
big  stone  before  she  can  mount  again. 

The  pupil  should  advance  to  the  left  side  of  her 
horse,  which  is  supposed  to  be  standing  quietly  with 
a  groom  at  his  head,  to  whom  she  will  hand  her  whip, 
taking  care  not  to  flourish  it  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
startle  the  animal.  She  should  then  turn  and  face 
in  the  same  direction  as  the  horse,  let  her  skirt  fall, 
and  put  her  right  hand  on  the  second  pommel  of 


MOUNTING.  23 

her  saddle,  her  left  hand  on  the  right  shoulder  of 
her  assistant,  who  is  stooping  in  front  of  her,  and  her 
left  foot,  the  knee  being  bent,  into  his  left  hand. 
She  should  then  count  three  aloud  :  at  one,  she 
should  prepare  to  spring,  by  assuring  herself  that  she 
is  standing  squarely  on  her  right  foot ;  at  two,  she 
should  bend  her  right  knee,  keeping  the  body  straight ; 
and  at  three,  she  should  spring  strongly  from  her 
right  leg,  straightening  also  her  left  as  she  rises,  and 
steadying  herself  by  a  slight  pressure  on  the  shoulder 
of  her  assistant,  who  rises  as  she  springs.  She  must 
be  careful  not  to  push  his  hand  away  with  her  left 
foot,  as  this  weakens  his  power  to  help  her,  and  as 
she  rises  she  should  turn  her  body  slightly  to  the 
left,  so  that  she  will  find  herself,  if  she  has  calculated 
her  spring  rightly,  sitting  on  the  saddle  sideways, 
facing  to  the  left.  She  will  then  shift  her  right  hand 
from  the  second  to  the  first  pommel,  turn  her  body 
from  left  to  right,  lift  her  right  leg  over  the  second 
pommel,  and  put  her  left  foot  into  the  stirrup. 
Afterward  she  will  arrange  her  skirt  smoothly  under 
her  with  her  left  hand. 

Two  elastic  straps  are  usually  sewn  on  the  inside 
of  a  riding-skirt  to  prevent  it  from  wrinkling.  The 
right  foot  is  intended  to  be  slipped  into  the  upper 
one,  the  left  into  the  lower,  and,  if  possible,  the 
pupil  should  do  this  just  before  she  mounts,  as  it 
will  save  her  and  her  assistant  time  and  trouble  after 
she  is  in  the  saddle.  As  soon  as  she  can  mount 
with  ease,  she  should  also  learn  to  hold  her  whip  in 


24  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

the  right  hand,  which  rests  on  the  second  pommeL 
These  are  trifling  details,  but  they  help  to  render  a 
lady  self-reliant,  and  it  may  happen  to  her  at  some 
time  to  ride  a  horse  who  will  not  stand  patiently 
while  straps  are  being  arranged  and  a  whip  passed 
from  hand  to  hand. 

I  offer  here  a  few  suggestions  for  the  use  of  any 
gentleman  who  may  wish  to  assist  a  lady  to  mount. 
He  should  stand  facing  her  at  the  left  side  of  the 
horse,  his  right  foot  slightly  in  front  of  his  left.  He 
should  then  stoop  and  offer  his  left  hand  for  her 
foot.  Unless  the  lady  is  an  experienced  rider,  he 
should  place  his  right  hand  lightly  under  her  left 
arm  to  steady  her  as  she  rises.  He  should  count 
aloud  with  her,  one,  two,  three,  and  at  three  he 
should  straighten  himself,  giving  a  strong  support 
for  her  left  foot. 

There  are  two  other  ways  of  helping  a  lady  to 
mount  :  the  first  consists  in  offering  both  hands, 
with  the  fingers  interlaced,  as  a  support  for  her  foot ; 
and  in  the  second  he  appears  to  kneel,  almost  touch- 
ing the  ground  with  his  left  knee,  and  holding  his 
right  leg  forward  with  the  knee  bent,  in  order  that 
she  may  step  on  it  and  mount  as  if  from  a  platform. 
Both  these  ways  seem  to  me  to  be  dangerous,  as,  in 
case  the  horse  moves  his  hind-quarters  suddenly  to 
the  right,  as  the  lady  rises,  which  is  not  uncommon, 
she  will  be  suspended  in  space,  with  nothing  to 
steady  her  but  her  hand  on  the  pommel,  and  may 
fall  under  the  horse's  feet. 


DISMOUNTING. 


25 


If  a  lady  wears  a  spur  she  should  always  tell  her 
assistant,  who  will  then  be  careful  that  her  left  heel 
does  not  touch  the  animal's  side.  I  have  often  been 
asked  if  it  is  possible  for  a  lady  to  mount  alone  ; 
and  it  is  certainly  possible,  although  not  very  con- 
venient. She  may  either  avail  herself  of  a  fallen 
tree,  a  stump,  a  fence,  or  any  slight  elevation,  which 
is,  of  course,  as  if  she  were  to  mount  from  a  plat- 
form in  the  school ;  or  she  may  let  down  her  stirrup 
as  far  as  she  can  by  means  of  the  strap  on  the  right 
side  of  the  saddle,  take  firm  hold  of  the  second 
pommel  with  her  left  hand  and  the  back  of  the  sad- 
dle with  her  right,  put  her  left  foot  into  the  stirrup, 
and  give  a  quick  spring  with  her  right  leg,  which,  if 
she  is  active,  will  land  her  in  the  saddle,  after  which 
she  can  shorten  her  stirrup-leather.  A  lady  will 
probably  never  in  her  life  be  called  upon  to  mount 
alone  in  a  flat  country,  but  she  can  never  have  too 
many  resources,  and  it  is  easy  to  make  the  attempt 
some  time  when  riding  alone  in  the  school. 

DISMOUNTING. 

The  horse  having  come  to  a  full  stop,  the  pupil 
may  let  the  reins  fall  on  his  neck  if  he  is  very  docile, 
slip  her  left  foot  out  of  the  stirrup  and  both  feet 
out  of  their  elastic  straps,  pass  her  right  leg  over  the 
second  pommel,  and  sit  sideways  on  her  saddle  for 
an  instant ;  then  give  her  left  hand  to  her  assistant, 
who  stands  at  the  side  of  the  horse,  and  let  herself 
slip  to  the  ground.     If  she  should  be  very  stout,  or 


26  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

if  her  feet  are  cold,  or  she  is  tired,  it  will  be  easier 
for  her  to  drop  both  reins  and  to  place  her  hands  on 
the  shoulders  of  her  assistant,  who  can  steady  her 
arms  with  his  hands. 

A  lady  may,  of  course,  dismount  without  help  by 
keeping  her  right  hand  on  the  second  pommel  and 
slipping  down  ;  but  she  must  be  careful  not  to  jerk 
her  horse's  mouth  with  the  reins,  which  she  should 
hold  in  her  right  hand. 

I  strongly  recommend  teachers  and  parents  to 
insist  that  these  exercises  of  mounting  and  dismount- 
ing be  practiced  frequently,  as  their  usefulness  is 
great. 

THE   POSITION    ON    HORSEBACK. 

It  has  often  surprised  me  to  see  the  indifference 
of  parents  to  the  manner  in  which  children  carry 
themselves  and  manage  their  bodies  and  limbs, 
whether  standing,  walking,  or  sitting. 

Although  they  have  sometimes  more  than  enough 
of  science,  literature,  and  music,  their  physical  cult- 
ure has  been  neglected,  so  that  they  are  not  conscious 
of  the  bad  habits  into  which  they  have  fallen,  and 
which  become  deeply  rooted  and  almost  second  na- 
ture. At  last  the  riding-master  is  called  upon  to  ren- 
der graceful  the  bodies  which  have  been  allowed  for 
years  to  acquire  ungraceful  tricks.  If  a  lady  wishes 
to  ride  really  well,  and  to  look  well  on  her  horse,  she 
must  be  supple  and  straight,  without  stiffness,  as 
rigidity  precludes  all  idea  of  ease  and  elegance,  to 


THE  POSITION  ON  HORSEBACK.  27 

say  nothing  of  the  fact  that  no  horse  looks  at  his  ease 
under  a  stiff  rider. 

During  the  first  lessons  a  pupil  is  apt  to  have  a 
certain  unconscious  fear,  which  causes  a  contraction 
of  the  muscles  ;  and  it  is  in  order  to  overcome  this 
fear,  and  consequent  rigidity,  that  the  following  gym- 
nastic exercise  is  recommended  : 

The  pupil  should  be  mounted  on  a  very  quiet 
horse  and  led  into  the  middle  of  the  school,  where 
the  teacher,  standing  on  the  left  side,  takes  in  his 
left  hand  her  right  foot,  and  draws  it  very  gently, 
and  without  any  jerk,  back  toward  the  left  leg  ;  the 
pupil  should  then  place  her  left  hand  in  his  right, 
and  her  right  hand  on  the  first  pommel,  and,  thus 
supported,  lean  back  until  her  body  touches  the 
back  of  the  horse,  straightening  herself  afterward 
with  as  little  aid  from  the  teacher  as  possible,  and 
chiefly  by  the  pressure  of  the  right  knee  on  the  sec- 
ond pommel.  This  movement  should  be  repeated, 
the  pupil  leaning  not  only  straight  back,  but  to  the 
left  and  the  right,  the  teacher  holding  the  right  foot 
in  place  and  making  the  pupil  understand  that  it  is 
to  the  fixity  of  contact  between  her  right  knee  and 
the  pommel  that  she  must  look  for  the  firmness  and 
consequent  safety  of  her  seat  on  horseback.  When 
the  pupil  has  acquired  some  ease  in  this  exercise, 
the  teacher  will  allow  her  to  practice  it  without  his 
hold  on  her  right  foot,  and  will  afterward  withdraw 
the  support  of  his  right  hand,  until  finally  she  be- 
comes able   to   execute   the   movements  while   the 


28  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN, 

teacher  leads  the  horse  at  a  walk  in  a  circle  to  the 
left,  his  right  hand  being  always  ready  to  replace  her 
foot  in  position  if  she  should  extend  it  forward. 

This  exercise  will  indicate  at  once  to  the  teacher 
any  muscular  rigidity  on  the  part  of  the  pupil,  which 
he   can  therefore    correct   by  the  following  move- 
ments :     Stiffness  of  the  neck  may  be  removed  by 
flexions  to  the  right,  to  the  left,  back  and  to  the 
right,  back   and   to  the  left,  straight  forward,  and 
straight  back,  always  gently  and  without  any  abrupt- 
ness.    For  stiffness  in  the  spine,  the  pupil  should 
lean  far  forward  and  then  backward,  bending  easily 
at  the  waist  and  keeping  the  shoulders  well  down 
and  back.    If  the  shoulders  are  stiff,  the  pupil  should 
keep  her  elbows  close  to  her  body,  the  fore-arm  be- 
ing curved,  and  the  wrists  on  a  level  with  the  elbow  ; 
then  let  her  move  her  shoulders  as  far  forward,  back- 
ward, up,  and  down  as  she  can,  first  separately,  then 
together,  and  at  last  in  different  directions  at  the 
same  time.    Very  often  rigidity  in  the  shoulder  comes 
from  stiffness  in  the  arm,  when  the  following  flexion 
will  be  found  useful  :     The  arm  should  be  allowed 
to  fall  easily  by  the  side,  and  afterward  lifted  until 
the  wrist  is  on  a  level  with  the  elbow,  the  fingers 
being  shut.     The  elbow  should  then  be  moved  out 
from  the  sides  and  raised  until  it  is  on  a  level  with  the 
shoulder,  with  the  fore-arm  horizontal ;  after  which 
the  wrist  should  be  raised  in  the  air,  keeping  the 
elbow  bent  at  a  right  angle,  and  the  fingers  in  front, 
the  arm  being  afterward  stretched  to  its  full  length 


THE  POSITION  ON  HORSEBACK. 


29 


perpendicularly,  and  finally  returned  to  its  place  by 
the  side,  after  going  through  the  same  motions  in 
reversed  order.  This  exercise  should  be  done  first 
with  one  arm,  then  the  other,  then  with  both  to- 
gether ;  it  is  somewhat  complicated,  but  no  force 
of  habit  can  resist  its  good  effect. 

Another  simpler  flexion  consists  in  first  raising 
and  then  lowering  the  arm,  stretching  it  out  in  front 
and  behind,  and  a,t  last  turning  it  round  and  round, 
the  shoulder  acting  as  a  pivot.  It  is  impossible  to 
see  whether  a  pupil  has  too  much  stiffness  in  the 
knees,  but  she  can  ascertain  for  herself  by  stretch- 
ing out  both  her  feet  in  front  and  then  bending 
them  as  far  back  as  they  will  go,  and  she  may  also 
correct  the  same  fault  in  her  ankles  by  turning  her 
feet  from  left  to  right,  from  right  to  left,  and  up  and 
down,  without  moving  the  leg. 

All  this  gymnastic  practice  must  be  done  slowly, 
quietly,  and  patiently,  however  tiresome  it  may  seem, 
as  the  result  in  the  future  will  be  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance, and  it  must  also  be  done  intelligently,  for 
the  object  is  not  to  learn  a  certain  number  of  move- 
ments, but  to  gain  flexibility  and  ease  throughout 
the  body. 

Parents  can  help  a  teacher  considerably  by  mak- 
ing children  go  through  these  flexions  at  home  ; 
and  it  seems  scarcely  necessary  to  add  that  the 
greatest  care  and  discretion  must  be  used  in  order 
not  to  fatigue  pupils,  especially  young  girls. 

When  the  teacher  is  satisfied  that  his  pupil  has 


30  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN, 

overcome  all  nervousness  and  stiffness,  so  that  she 
feels  at  home  in  the  saddle,  he  should  explain  to  her 
the  details  of  the  position  during  motion,  and  should 
insist  that  she  correct  her  faults  without  help  from 
him,  in  order  that  she  may  learn  the  quicker  to  take 
the  initiative  and  be  responsible  for  herself. 

Experience  has  shown  me  that  it  is  easier  for  a 
pupil  to  keep  her  shoulders  on  the  same  line,  and  sib 
square,  if  she  holds  a  rein  in  either  hand  ;  therefore 
I  recommend  this  method.  And  I  have  also  found 
that  to  learn  by  heart  the  following  rules  produces 
excellent  results,  especially  in  cases  where  ladies 
really  wish  to  study,  and  to  improve  any  bad  habits 
into  which  they  m.ay  have  fallen  : 

The  head  straight,  easy,  turning  upon  the 
shoulders  in  every  direction,  without  involving 
the  body  in  its  movement. 

If  the  head,  being  at  the  end  of  the  spinal  col- 
umn, is  stiff,  this  stiffness  will  be  communicated  to 
all  the  upper  part  of  the  body  ;  if  it  can  not  turn 
freely  without  making  the  shoulders  turn  also,  the 
stability  of  the  seat  will  be  impaired  each  time  that 
the  head  moves. 

The  eyes  fixed  straight  to  the  front,  look- 
ing between  the  horse's  ears,  and  always  in 
the  direction  in  which  he  is  going. 

If  the  eyes  are  dropped,  the  head  will  tend  to 
droop  forward,  and  little  by  little  a  habit  of  stooping 
will  be  acquired,  which  will  destroy  the  balance  and 
steadiness  of  the  seat ;  while,  if  the  rider  does  not 


THE  POSITION  ON  HORSEBACK. 


31 


look  out  ahead,  she  may  not  be  able  to  communicate 
with  her  horse  in  time  to  avoid  accidents — as  he  is 
not  supposed  to  know  where  he  is  going,  and  the 
responsibility  of  guiding  him  rests  with  her. 

The  upper  part  of  the  body  easy,  flexible, 
and  straight. 

If  the  upper  part  of  the  body  is  not  easy,  its  stiff- 
ness will  extend  to  other  parts  which  should  be  free 
to  give  to  the  motion  of  the  horse,  and  thus  avoid 
any  shock ;  if  it  is  not  straight,  the  effect  is  lost  of 
the  perpendicular  line  upon  the  horizontal  one  of  the 
horse's  back,  which  corrects  the  displacement  of  equi- 
librium when  the  animal  is  in  motion. 

The  lower  part  of  the  body  firm,  without 
stiffness. 

If  it  were  not  firm,  the  spine  would  bend  for- 
ward or  back  from  the  perpendicular,  and  derange 
the  center  of  gravity,  with  dangerous  results  in  case 
the  horse  made  a  sudden  bound ;  but  there  must  be 
no  stiffness,  as  that  detracts  from  the  ease  and  sup- 
pleness indispensable  to  a  good  seat. 

The  shoulders  well  back,  and  on  the  same 
line. 

Well  back,  in  order  to  give  the  lungs  full  space 
to  breathe,  and  to  prevent  stooping.  The  most 
common  fault  among  ladies  who  ride  is,  that  the 
right  shoulder  is  held  farther  forward  than  the  left, 
which  is  not  only  ungraceful,  but  bad  for  the  horse, 
as  the  rider's  weight  does  not  come  evenly  on  his 
back. 


32  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

The  arms  falling  naturally,  the  elbows 
being  held  close  to  the  body  without  stiff- 
ness. 

If  the  arms  are  held  as  if  tied  to  the  body,  or  if 
the  elbows  are  stuck  out,  the  wrists  and  hands  can 
not  guide  the  horse  with  ease. 

The  fore-arm  bent. 

Forming  with  the  upper  arm  a  right  angle,  of 
which  the  elbow  is  the  apex,  in  order  to  give  the 
wrist  an  intermediate  position,  whether  the  hand  is 
held  high  or  low. 

The  wrists  on  a  level  with  the  elbows. 

Because,  if  the  wrists  are  held  too  low,  the  rider 
will  get  into  the  habit  of  resting  her  hands  on  her 
right  knee,  and  will  consequently  neglect  to  occupy 
herself  with  her  horse's  mouth. 

Six  inches  apart. 

In  order  to  give  the  rider  a  fixed  intermediary 
position  between  the  movements  of  the  hands  for- 
ward, to  the  left,  or  to  the  right,  by  which  she  gov- 
erns her  horse :  if  the  wrists  are  held  farther  apart, 
the  elbows  will  appear  pinioned  to  the  sides ;  if  near- 
er together,  the  elbows,  on  the  contrary,  will  stick 
out  in  an  angle. 

The  reins  held  in  each  hand. 

I  attach  great  importance  to  this  disposition  of 
the  reins,  as  it  gives  a  novice  confidence,  makes  it 
easier  for  her  to  sit  square  in  the  saddle,  and  easier 
also  to  manage  her  horse. 

The  fingers  firmly  closed,  facing  each  other, 


THE  POSITION  ON  HORSEBACK. 


33 


with  the  thumbs  extended  on  the  ends  of  the 
reins. 

The  fingers  should  face  each  other,  because,  if 
they  are  turned  up  or  down,  the  elbows  will  get  out 
of  position ;  and  the  reins  must  be  held  firmly  and 
kept  from  slipping  by  the  thumb,  as  the  horse  will 
be  quick  to  take  advantage  if  he  feels  the  reins 
lengthen  whenever  he  moves  his  head. 

The  right  foot  falling  naturally  on  the  panel 
of  the  saddle,  the  point  forward  and  somewhat 
down,  and  the  right  side  of  the  leg  held  closely 
to  the  saddle. 

As  the  firmness  of  the  seat  depends  greatly  upon 
a  close  hold  of  the  pommel  by  the  muscles  of  the 
right  knee,  it  is  important  that  they  should  have  as 
free  play  as  possible  ;  and,  if  the  foot  is  turned  out- 
ward, not  only  is  the  effect  ungraceful,  but  the  mus- 
cles soon  become  fatigued  and  the  whole  position 
constrained,  even  that  of  the  right  shoulder,  whiclv 
will  be  held  too  far  forward. 

The  left  foot  in  the  stirrup,  without  leaning 
on  it. 

If  a  lady  leans  her  weight  on  the  stirrup,  her  natural 
tendency  will  be  to  sit  over  too  much  to  the  left,  which 
may  cause  the  saddle  to  turn,  and  is  very  hard  on  the 
horse's  back ;  besides,  as  she  is  out  of  equilibrium,  any 
sudden  movement  will  shake  her  loose  in  her  seat. 

The  point  of  the  foot  turned  slightly  to  the 
right,  and  the  heel  held  lower  than  the  rest  of 
the  foot. 

3 


34  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

If  the  point  is  turned  somewhat  in,  the  whole  leg 
will  rest  more  easily  and  closely  against  the  saddle ; 
and,  if  the  heel  is  lower  than  the  ball  of  the  foot,  ad- 
ditional contact  of  the  leg  will  be  gained,  which  is 
important  in  managing  a  horse,  and,  when  a  spur  is 
worn,  it  will  not  be  so  apt  to  touch  him  at  a  wrong 
time. 

The  part  of  the  right  leg  between  the  knee 
and  the  hip-joint  should  be  turned  on  its  outer 
or  right  side,  and  should  press  throughout  its 
length  on  the  saddle ;  while,  on  the  contrary, 
the  inside  of  the  left  leg  should  be  in  perma- 
nent contact  with  the  saddle.  The  knees 
should,  in  their  respective  positions,  be  con- 
tinually in  contact,  without  any  exception. 
The  lower  or  movable  part  of  the  leg  plays 
upon  the  immovable  at  the  knee-joint,  the  sole 
exception  being  when  the  rider  rises  to  the 
trot,  at  which  time  the  upper  part  of  the  leg 
leaves  the  saddle. 

This  position  on  horseback  may  be  called  aca- 
demic, or  classical ;  and,  from  the  beginning,  a  lady 
should  endeavor  to  obtain  it,  without,  of  course,  be- 
coming discouraged  if,  for  some  time,  she  fails  to 
attain  perfection. 

I  have  met  with  excellent  results  by  allowing  my 
pupils  to  leave  this  correct  position,  and  then  re- 
sume it  again,  at  first  standing  still,  then  at  other 
gaits  progressively.  *'  Progression  "  in  horseman- 
ship means  the  execution  of  a  movement  at  a  trot 


THE  POSITION  ON  HORSEBACK. 


35 


or  gallop  after  it  has  been  learned  and  practiced  at 
a  walk.  In  this  way  pupils  soon  become  conscious 
both  of  the  right  and  the  wrong  seats,  and  the  differ- 
ence between  them,  and  it  is  consequently  easy  to 
correct  any  detail  in  which  they  may  find  themselves 
defective.  I  have  done  this  in  accordance  with  a 
principle  in  which  I  firmly  believe,  i.  e.,  that  the 
best  teacher  is  he  who  soonest  makes  his  pupil  un- 
derstand what  is  expected  of  her,  and  how  to  ac- 
complish it.  The  former  is  theoretical,  the  latter 
practical  horsemanship,  and  there  is  a  great  differ- 
ence between  them. 

If  the  teacher  finds  it  hard  to  make  a  pupil  un- 
derstand the  foregoing  position,  he  may  help  her  in 
the  following  manner  :  He  should  take  her  right 
foot,  as  indicated  in  the  flexions,  and,  going  as  far 
back  as  he  can,  place  his  right  elbow  on  the  horse's 
croup,  with  his  fore-arm  perpendicular,  and  his  fin- 
gers open  and  bent  backward.  He  will  then  request 
the  pupil  to  lean  back  until  she  feels  the  support  of 
the  teacher's  hand  between  her  shoulders,  and  to 
allow  her  head  and  shoulders  to  go  back  of  their  own 
weight,  when  it  will  be  easy  for  him,  by  pressure  of 
his  hand,  to  straighten  the  body  until  it  is  in  the  cor- 
rect position.  Some  teachers  adopt  the  Hungarian 
method  of  passing  a  round  stick  through  the  arms 
and  behind  the  back;  but  this  is  only  practicable 
when  a  horse  is  standing  still,  or  at  a  walk,  and 
even  then  great  care  should  be  used,  as  the  rider 
is  quite  helpless.      It  has  also  the  disadvantage  of 


36  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

making  tall  and  slender  persons  hollow  their  backs 
unduly. 

Pupils  should  be  warned  to  avoid,  as  much  as 
may  be,  clasping  the  pommel  too  tightly  with  the 
right  knee,  as  a  constant  strain  will  fatigue  them 
and  take  away  the  reserve  force  which  they  may 
need  at  a  given  moment ;  indeed,  a  rider  should  be 
taught  from  the  first  to  economize  his  strength  as 
much  as  possible. 

As  soon  as  the  pupil  can  sit  her  horse  correctly, 
at  a  walk,  holding  the  reins  in  both  hands,  she  should 
practice  holding  them  in  the  left  hand  only,  in  case 
she  should  wish  to  use  her  right  hand  during  the 
lesson. 

The  English  method  of  holding  the  reins  of  a 
double  bridle  is,  to  bring  all  four  up  straight  through 
the  fingers ;  for  instance,  the  curb-reins,  being  out- 
side, go  outside  the  little  finger  and  between  the 
first  and  second  fingers,  while  those  of  the  snaffle 
come  between  the  fourth  and  middle  and  the  middle 
and  first  fingers. 

In  France  and  in  this  country  the  reins  are  crossed, 
the  curb  being  below,  outside  the  little  finger,  and  be- 
tween the  third  and  middle  fingers,  while  the  snaffle 
comes  between  the  fourth  and  middle  and  the  sec- 
ond and  first  fingers. 

The  latter  method  seems  to  me  preferable,  as  it 
is  easier  to  separate  the  reins,  and  also  to  regulate 
the  amount  of  tension  required .  on  one  pair  or  the 
other.     In  either  position,  the  hand  is  held  in  front 


THE  POSITION  ON  HORSEBACK.  ^j 

of  the  body,  with  the  palm  and  shut  fingers  toward 
it,  and  the  reins  are  held  firmly  in  place  by  the  press- 
ure of  the  thumb. 

The  teacher  should  explain  that,  as  the  curb  is  a 
much  more  severe  bit  than  the  snaffle,  its  effects  must 
be  used  with  delicacy,  and  he  should  give  his  pupils 
plenty  of  practice  in  taking  up,  separating,  and  re- 
uniting the  reins,  in  order  that  they  may  learn  to 
handle  them  quickly  and  with  precision  at  any  gait. 


CHAPTER    11. 

Exercises  of  pupils  in  private  lessons — Words  of  command — 
Walking — Turning  to  the  right  or  left — Voltes  and  re- 
versed voltes — Trotting. 

Although  private  lessons  can  not  begin  to  take 
the  place  of  exercises  in  class,  it  is  advisable  that  the 
pupil  should  have  some  lessons  by  herself  first,  in  or- 
der that  she  may  learn  to  manage  her  horse  to  some 
extent  at  the  walk,  trot,  and  canter. 

Words  of  command  in  the  riding-school  are  of 
two  kinds;  the  first  being  preparatory,  to  enable 
the  pupil  to  think  over  quickly  the  means  to  be  em- 
ployed in  order  to  obey  the  second  or  final  order. 
Example  :  "  Prepare  to  go  forward  " — preparatory. 
*'Go  forward" — final  order,  given  in  a  loud  voice, 
with  emphasis  on  each  word  or  syllable.  Between 
the  two  orders,  the  teacher  should  at  first  explain  to 
the  pupil  what  is  wanted,  and  the  means  of  obtain- 
ing it,  and  later  should  require  her  to  repeat  it  her- 
self, so  that  she  may  learn  it  by  heart.  The  teacher 
commands  the  pupil,  the  pupil  demands  obedience 
from  the  horse,  and  the  horse  executes  the  move- 
ment ;  but  this  triple  process  needs  time,  all  the  more 


WORDS  OF  COMMAND. 


39 


because  a  novice  is  likely  to  hesitate,  even  if  she 
makes  no  mistake.  By  giving  the  pupil  time  to 
think,  she  will  gain  the  habit  of  making  progressive 
demands  on  her  horse,  through  means  which  she  has 
calculated,  and  she  will  thus  gradually  become  a  true 
horsewoman,  able  to  make  her  horse  know  what  she 
wants  him  to  do ;  for,  in  almost  every  case,  obsti- 
nacy or  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  horse  comes 
from  the  want  of  due  progression  between  the  de- 
mand made  of  him  and  its  execution. 

When  the  teacher  is  satisfied  that  the  pupil  is  in 
a  regular  and  easy  position,  before  allowing  her  to 
go  forward,  he  will  give  her  the  directions  necessary 
to  stop  her  horse,  and  will  make  sure  that  his  ex- 
planation has  been  understood.  To  stop  :  The  horse 
being  at  the  walk,  to  stop  him,  the  pupil  should  place 
her  leg  and  whip  in  contact  with  his  sides,  lift  her 
hands  and  bring  them  close  to  the  body,  and  lean 
her  body  back,  drawing  herself  up.  When  the  horse 
has  come  to  a  stand-still,  she  should  resume  the  nor- 
mal position.  To  go  forward :  The  whip  and  leg 
should  be  placed  in  contact,  the  hands  moved  for- 
ward, and  the  body  inclined  also  forward. 

When  the  pupil  has  a  clear  idea  of  these  move- 
ments, the  teacher  will  give  the  orders : 

I.  Prepare  to  go  forward. — 2.  Forward. 

And,  after  some  steps  have  been  taken, 
I.  Prepare  to  stop. — 2.  Stop. 

While  making  his  pupils  advance  at  a  walk,  the 


40 


HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 


teacher  will  explain  succinctly  the  mechanism  of 
locomotion. 

The  horse  at  rest  is  said  to  be  square  on  his  base 
when  his  four  legs  are  perpendicular  between  two 
parallels,  one  being  the  horizontal  line  of  the  ground, 
the  other  the  corresponding  line  of  his  back.  If  his 
hind  legs  are  outside  of  this  square,  he  is  said  to  be 
"  campe,"  or  planted,  because  he  can  neither  move 
forward  nor  back  unless  he  changes  this  position. 
If  his  fore  legs  are  outside  this  line,  he  is  "  campe  " 
in  front,  as,  for  instance,  when  kicking;  if,  on  the 
contrary,  his  fore  legs  are  inside  his  base,  he  is  said 
to  be  *'  under  himself  "  in  front ;  and  it  is  a  bad  sign 
when  a  horse  takes  this  position  habitually,  as  it 
shows  fatigue  or  weakness  in  those  limbs. 

The  horse  goes  forward,  backward,  trots  or  gal- 
lops, by  a  contraction  of  the  muscles  of  the  hind 
quarters,  the  duty  of  the  fore  legs  being  to  support 
his  weight  and  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  hind  ones ; 
and  the  whole  art  of  riding  consists  in  a  knowledge  of 
the  means  which  give  the  rider  control  of  these  mus- 
cular contractions  of  the  hind  quarters.  The  appli- 
cation of  the  left  leg  and  of  the  whip  on  the  sides  of 
the  horse  serve  to  make  him  go  forward,  backward, 
to  the  right  or  left,  and  the  reins  serve  to  guide  and 
support  him,  and  also  to  indicate  the  movement  re- 
quired by  the  whip  and  leg. 

I.  Prepare  to  turn  to  the  right. — 2.  Turn  to  the  right. 

To  turn  her  horse  to  the  right,  the  pupil  should 
draw  her  right  hand  back  and  to  the  right,  incline 


WALKING.  41 

her  body  also  to  the  right,  turning  her  head  in  the 
same  direction,  and  use  her  whip  lightly,  without 
stopping  the  pressure  of  her  left  leg.  When  her 
horse  has  turned  far  enough,  she  will  cease  pressure 
on  the  right  side,  and  carry  her  horse  straight  for- 
ward. 

In  the  beginning,  regularity  of  movement  is  not 
so  important  as  that  the  pupil  should  understand  the 
means  by  which  she  executes  it ;  that  is  to  say,  that 
she  disturbs  the  equilibrium  of  her  horse  by  carrying 
the  weight  of  her  body  to  the  right ;  and,  while  her 
hand  and  whip  combine  on  that  side,  the  left  leg 
prevents  him  from  stopping  or  straggling  over  the 
ground. 

Riders  in  a  school  are  said  to  be  on  the  right 
hand  when  the  right  side  of  the  body  is  toward  the 
middle  of  the  ring ;  and  this  is  the  easier  way  for 
inexperienced  pupils,  because  they  are  less  shaken 
when  their  horses  move  to  the  right,  as  they  sit  on 
the  left  side  of  their  saddles. 

It  follows,  naturally,  that  to  be  on  the  left  hand  is 
to  have  the  left  side  toward  the  middle ;  and,  when 
riding  on  the  right  hand,  all  movements  are  executed 
to  the  right,  and  vice  versd. 

The  teacher  must  watch  carefully  that  pupils  do 
not  allow  their  horses  to  turn  the  corners  of  their 
own  accord,  as  a  regular  movement  to  the  right 
should  be  executed  by  the  pupil  at  each  corner  when 
riding  on  the  right  hand,  and  to  the  left  when  going 
the  other  way. 


^2  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

If  left  to  guide  himself  around  a  school,  the  horse 
will  describe  a  sort  of  oval,  rounding  the  corners,  in- 
stead of  going  into  them,  and  thus  much  valuable 
practice  is  lost  to  the  rider. 

The  pupil  being  at  a  walk,  and  on  the  right  hand, 
the  teacher  will  give  the  word  of  command : 

I.  Prepare  to  trot. — 2.  Trot. 

To  make  her  horse  trot,  she  must  advance  her 
wrists,  lean  the  body  forward,  and  use  the  leg  and 
whip,  resuming  the  normal  position  as  soon  as  her 
horse  obeys  her. 

In  order  not  to  fatigue  the  pupil,  the  teacher  will 
only  allow  her  to  trot  a  short  distance,  and  will  re- 
mind her  to  keep  her  right  foot  well  back  and  close 
to  the  saddle,  and  to  sit  close  without  stiffness.  He 
will  also  take  care  that  she  passes  from  the  walk  to 
the  trot  gradually,  by  making  her  horse  walk  faster 
and  faster  until  he  breaks  into  a  slow  trot. 

Each  time  that  a  pupil  changes  from  a  slow  to  a 
faster  gait,  she  should  accelerate  the  former  as  much 
as  possible,  and  begin  the  latter  slowly,  increasing 
the  speed  gradually  up  to  the  desired  point;  and  the 
same  rule  holds  good,  reversing  the  process,  if  she 
wishes  to  change  from  a  fast  to  a  slower  gait. 

As  the  pupil  gains  confidence,  and  feels  at  home 
in  the  trot,  the  teacher  will  let  her  practice  it  at 
shorter  intervals,  and  for  a  longer  time,  taking  care, 
however,  that  she  does  not  attempt  to  rise  to  it ; 
if  she  loses  the   correct  position,  she   must   come 


THE  VOLTE.  43 

to  a  walk,  and,  having  corrected  her  fault,  resume 
the  trot. 

In  the  intervals  of  rest,  in  order  not  to  lose  time, 
the  pupil  should  repeat  at  a  walk  the  movements 
which  she  has  learned  already,  the  teacher  becom- 
ing gradually  more  exacting  in  regard  to  the  correct- 
ness of  the  positions  and  effects,  adding  also  the 
three  following  movements,  which  are  more  compli- 
cated, and  which  complete  the  series,  dealing  with 
changes  of  direction. 

The  volte  is  a  circular  movement,  executed  by 

the  horse  upon  a  curved  line,  not  less  than  twelve 

of  his  steps  in  length.     The  pupil  being  at  a  walk, 

and  on  the  right  hand  of  the  school,  the  teacher  will 

say : 

I.  Prepare  to  volte. — 2.  Volte^ 

explaining  that  the  pupil  should  direct  her  horse  to 
the  right,  exactly  as  if  she  merely  meant  to  turn  him 
in  that  direction,  continuing,  however,  the  same  po- 
sition, and  using  the  same  effects,  until  the  twelve 
paces  have  been  taken,  which  will  bring  her  to  the 
point  of  beginning,  when  she  will  resume  the  normal 
position,  and  go  forward  on  the  same  hand. 

The  half-volte,  as  its  name  implies,  comprises  the 
first  part  of  the  movement,  the  pupil  coming  back  to 
her  place  by  a  diagonal  line. 

I.  Prepare  to  half -volte. — 2.  Half -volte. 

The  pupil  uses  the  same  effects  as  in  the  volte, 
but,  when  she  has  described  half  the  circle,  she  re- 


44 


HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 


turns  to  her  starting-point  by  a  diagonal,  using  the 
same  effects,  but  with  much  less  force,  since,  to  re- 
gain her  place  by  the  diagonal,  she  will  only  have  one 
fourth  of  a  turn  to  the  right  to  make  ;  then,  at  the 
end  of  the  diagonal,  she  must  change  her  effects 
completely,  in  order  to  execute  three  fourths  of  a 
turn  to  the  left,  which  will  bring  her  back  to  her 
track,  but  on  the  left  hand. 

I.  Prepare  for  the  reversed  half -volte, — 2.  Reversed 

half-volte. 

To  make  her  horse  execute  a  reversed  half-volte, 
the  pupil  uses  the  same  means  and  effects  as  in  the 
preceding  movement,  exactly  reversing  them  at  the 
end ;  that  is  to  say,  when  on  the  diagonal,  about  six 
paces  from  her  track,  she  makes  a  half-circle  to  the 
left,  following  the  rules  prescribed  for  the  volte. 

The  teacher  must  be  careful  to  explain  that,  in 
the  voltes,  the  pupil  does  not  change  the  direction  in 
which  she  is  going,  because  she  describes  a  circle ; 
but  in  the  half-volte,  if  she  is  on  the  right  hand  at 
the  beginning,  she  will  be  on  the  left  at  the  end.  He 
must  also  see  that  her  horse  executes  all  these  move- 
ments at  a  steady  pace;  and,  if  she  will  practice 
faithfully  these  different  changes  of  direction,  with 
the  positions  and  effects  which  govern  them,  she  will, 
in  time,  acquire  the  habit  of  guiding  her  horse 
promptly  and  skillfully  in  any  direction. 

To  go  backward. — The  pupil,  being  at  a  stand- 
still, the  teacher  will  give  the  word  of  command  : 


BACKING. 


45 


I.  Prepare  to  back. — 2.  Back. 

Explanation. — To  make  her  horse  go  backward, 
the  pupil  should  draw  herself  up  and  lean  back  very 
.far,  using  her  leg  and  whip  together,  in  order  to 
bring  the  horse's  legs  well  under  him,  and  at  the 
same  time  raise  both  wrists  and  bring  them  near  the 
body.  As  soon  as  the  horse  has  taken  his  first  step 
backward,  the  pupil  should  stop  the  action  of  her 
leg,  whip,  and  hands,  only  to  resume  them  almost 
immediately  to  determine  the  second  step  ;  to  stop 
backing,  she  will  stop  all  effects,  and  resume  the  nor- 
mal positions. 

After  a  few  steps,  the  teacher  should  say : 

I.  Prepare  to  stop  backitig. — 2.  Stop  backing. 

The  movement  is  only  correct  when  the  horse 
backs  in  a  straight  line,  and  step  by  step.  If  he 
quickens  his  movement,  he  must  be  at  once  carried 
vigorously  forward  with  the  leg  and  whip. 

When  the  pupil  begins  to  have  a  firm  seat  at  the 
trot,  the  teacher  will  gradually  let  her  pass  the  cor- 
ners at  that  gait,  and,  at  his  discretion,  will  also  let 
her  execute  some  of  the  movements  to  the  right  and 
left.  To  do  this,  she  will  use  precisely  the  same 
means  as  at  the  walk,  the  only  difference  being  that, 
as  the  gait  is  quicker,  the  changes  of  equilibrium  are 
greater  for  both  horse  and  rider,  and  the  effects 
should  be  lighter  and  more  quickly  employed  and 
stopped. 

I  have  given  most  of  the  movements  to  the  right, 


46  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

to  avoid  useless  repetition,  but  they  should  be  fre- 
quently reversed ;  and  care  must  always  be  taken  to 
avoid  over-fatigue. 

When  the  teacher  is  fully  satisfied  that  his  pupil 
has  advanced  far  enough  to  profit  by  it,  he  may  be- 
gin to  teach  her  to  rise  at  the  trot ;  but  he  must  not 
be  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  reach  this  point,  and  he 
must  make  her  understand  that  to  rise  is  the  result 
of  a  good  seat,  and  that  a  good  seat  does  not  result 
from  rising. 

For  the  last  fifteen  years  I  have  looked  in  vain,  in 
all  the  treatises  on  riding,  for  the  reason  of  that  rising 
to  the  action  of  the  horse  known  as  the  **  English 
trot,"  and  yet  I  have  seen  it  practiced  among  races 
ignorant  of  equestrian  science,  who  ride  from  child- 
hood as  a  means  of  getting  from  one  place  to  another. 
The  Arabs,  Cossacks,  Turks,  Mexicans,  and  Apaches, 
all  employ  it,  in  a  fashion  more  or  less  precise  and 
rhythmical,  rising  whether  their  stirrups  are  short  or 
long,  and  even  if-  they  have  none.  It  is  certain  that 
this  way  of  neutralizing  the  reaction  spares  and  helps 
the  horse ;  and  it  was  calculated,  at  the  meeting  of 
the  "Equestrian  Committee"  at  Paris,  in  1872,  that 
each  time  a  rider  rises  he  relieves  the  horse's  back 
of  one  third  of  the  weight  which  must  rest  on  it  per- 
manently if  he  sits  fast ;  and  since  that  time  rising 
at  the  trot  has  been  practiced  in  all  the  cavalry  of 
Europe. 

After  the  siege  of  Paris,  in  187 1, 1  was  obliged  to 
undertake  the  training  of  the  horses  of  my  regiment, 


THE  ENGLISH   TROT. 


47 


which  was  then  stationed  at  Massy.  These  horses 
were  all  young  and  unbroken  ;  and,  as  a  result  of 
their  youth  and  the  fatigues  they  had  undergone, 
they  were  in  poor  condition,  and  nearly  all  had  sore 
backs.  I  directed  all  the  teachers  who  were  under 
me,  and  the  men  who  rode  the  horses  during  their 
training,  to  rise  at  the  trot ;  and,  three  months  later, 
the  young  horses  were  in  perfect  health,  while  their 
riders,  who  had  been  exhausted  by  a  severe  cam- 
paign, had  gained  on  an  average  seven  pounds  in 
weight ;  and  it  was  this  experiment  which  was  sub- 
mitted by  me  to  the  "  Equestrian  Committee." 

I  was  tempted  to  make  this  digression,  which  I 
hope  will  be  forgiven  me,  because  I  have  heard  in 
this  country  a  great  deal  of  adverse  and,  in  my  opin- 
ion, unjust  criticism  of  the  English  trot,  which  I 
ascribe  to  the  neglect  of  teachers,  and  the  indiffer- 
ence of  ladies  brought  up  in  the  old  school  of  riding 
to  prefer  horses  which  cantered  all  the  time,  or  were 
broken  to  artificial  gaits,  like  racking  and  pacing. 

The  rider  who  wishes  to  rise  to  the  trot  should 
be  careful  that  the  stirrup  is  not  so  short  as  to  keep 
her  left  leg  in  constant  contact  with  the  third  pom- 
mel, or  leaping-horn,  as,  unless  there  is  the  space  of 
three  or  four  fingers  between  the  pommel  and  the 
leg,  the  latter  may  be  bruised,  and  the  rider  forced 
down  too  soon. 

In  order  to  explain  this  movement,  the  teacher 
may  proceed  as  follows  :  Placing  himself  at  the  left 
side  of  the  horse,  he  will  ask  the  pupil  to  take  the 


48  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

reins  in  her  left  hand  and  put  her  right  hand  on  the 
first  pommel,  with  the  thumb  inside  and  the  palm  of 
the  hand  on  the  pommel ;  he  will  then  take  her  left 
foot  in  his  left  hand,  in  order  to  prevent  her  from 
pushing  it  forward,  explaining  that,  by  pressing  on 
the  stirrup,  she  will  develop  the  obtuse  angle  formed 
by  her  leg,  of  which  the  knee  is  the  apex  ;  whereas, 
if  she  pushes  her  foot  forward,  the  angle  will  cease 
to  exist,  and  she  can  not  lift  herself.  With  his  right 
hand  placed  under  her  left  arm,  he  will  help  her  to 
lift  herself  perpendicularly;  while  she  is  in  the  air 
he  will  count  one,  will  let  her  pause  there  for  a  short 
space  of  time,  and  will  then  help  her  to  let  herself 
slowly  down,  continuing  the  pressure  on  the  stirrup, 
and,  when  she  has  regained  her  saddle,  he  will  count 
two ;  then  he  will  recommence  the  movement  of  ris- 
ing, and  will  count  three  while  she  is  in  the  air,  and 
four  when  she  is  again  seated  ;  and  this  may  be 
continued  until  he  sees  that  she  is  beginning  to  be 
tired.  The  foot  must  only  be  one  third  of  its  length 
in  the  stirrup;  for,  if  it  is  pushed  home,  she  will 
lose  the  play  of  the  ankle,  which  will  tend  to  stiffen 
the  knee  and  hip.  When  the  pupil  begins  to  under- 
stand, the  teacher  will  let  her  go  through  the  move- 
ment rather  more  quickly,  still  counting  one,  two, 
three,  four;  then  he  will  allow  her  to  practice  it 
without  his  help  :  all  this  preparatory  work  being 
done  while  the  horse  is  standing  still.  It  is  impor- 
tant that  she  should  not  drop  into  her  saddle,  but 
let  herself  down  by  pressing  on  the  stirrup  ;  and  on 


THE  ENGLISH   TROT.  49 

no  account  should  the  right  knee  cease  to  be  in  con- 
tact with  the  second  pommel,  as  this  is  the  sole  case 
in  which  the  lower  part  of  this  leg  is  motionless  while 
the  upper  part  moves.  As  soon  as  the  pupil  can  rise 
without  too  much  effort,  and  tolerably  quickly,  she 
may  practice  it  at  the  walk,  and  then  at  the  trot, 
counting  for  herself,  one,  two,  three,  four;  and  she 
must  put  a  certain  amount  of  energy  into  it,  for  all 
the  theory  in  the  world  will  not  teach  her  to  rise  in 
time  with  the  horse  unless  she  also  helps  herself. 
The  theory  of  the  rhythmical  cadence  is  easy  enough 
to  give :  the  rider  rises  when  the  horse  takes  one 
step,  and  sinks  back  at  the  second,  to  rise  again  at 
the  third ;  but  the  cadence  itself  is  not  so  easy  to 
find ;  and  to  rise  at  the  wrong  step  is  like  beginning 
on  the  wrong  beat  of  a  waltz.  Many  young  persons 
get  into  the  bad  habit  of  lowering  the  right  knee 
when  they  rise,  and  lifting  it  when  they  regain  their 
seat ;  but  this  is  a  mistake,  as  the  right  knee  should 
be  immovable,  and  in  constant  contact  with  the  sec- 
ond pommel. 

As  soon  as  the  pupil  has  struck  the  cadence  (and, 
once  found,  it  comes  easily  afterward),  she  should 
discontinue  the  use  of  her  right  hand  on  the  pom- 
mel, and  the  teacher  may  be  more  exacting  as  to 
the  regularity  of  her  position  than  is  necessary  in 
her  first  efforts.  During  rising  to  the  trot,  the  upper 
part  of  the  body  should  be  very  slightly  bent  for- 
ward; and,  if  the  teacher  notices  that  the  pupil  is 

rising  from  right  to  left,  or  left  to  right,  instead  of 
4 


50  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

perpendicularly,  he  should  make  her  put  the  fingers 
of  her  right  hand  on  the  top  of  her  saddle  behind, 
and  thus  give  herself  a  little  help  in  rising,  until  she 
gets  used  to  it.  Each  time  that  the  rider  wishes  to 
make  her  horse  trot,  she  should  sit  close  while  he 
changes  from  a  walk  to  a  trot,  and  until  he  is  trot- 
ting as  fast  as  is  necessary,  because  he  does  not 
arrive  at  that  speed  instantly,  but  by  hurrying  his 
steps,  so  that  there  is  no  regular  cadence  of  the  trot 
to  which  she  can  rise  ;  and  she  should  follow  the 
same  rule  when  she  makes  him  slacken  his  pace 
before  coming  to  a  walk. 

The  teacher  must  be  careful  to  see  that  the  hands 
do  not  follow  the  movements  of  the  body,  as  they 
must  keep  quite  still,  the  arms  moving  at  the  elbow. 

There  is  not,  nor  can  there  be,  any  approximate 
calculation  of  the  height  to  rise,  as  that  depends 
entirely  upon  the  gait  of  the  horse.  If  he  takes 
short  steps,  the  rider  must  rise  oftener,  and  conse- 
quently not  so  high;  but,  if  he  is  long-gaited,  she 
must  rise  high,  in  order  not  to  get  back  into  the 
saddle  before  he  is  ready  to  take  his  second  step. 


-  CHAPTER  III. 

Classes — Successive  and  individual  movements — The  gallop- 
Leaping — Suggestions  for  riding  on  the  road. 

When  the  pupil  has  taken  from  ten  to  fifteen  les- 
sons, she  ought  to  be  able  to  execute  the  movements 
she  has  studied  with  a  certain  degree  of  correctness, 
and  to  remain  a  full  hour  on  horseback  without  fa- 
tigue ;  and  she  should  then,  if  possible,  be  placed  in 
a  class  composed  of  not  less  than  twelve  nor  more 
than  twenty-four  members.  Children  in  a  class 
should  be  of  the  same  sex,  and,  as  near  as  may  be, 
of  the  same  age  and  equestrian  experience.  It  is 
not  necessary  that  the  class  should  meet  every  day ; 
it  may  come  together  one,  two,  or  three  times  a  week, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  same  teacher,  and  this 
need  not  prevent  a  pupil  who  is  in  it  from  coming  to 
the  school  at  other  times  to  practice  the  various 
movements  by  herself. 

All  concerned  should  do  their  best  to  have  all 
the  members  of  the  class  present,  and  the  school 
should  be  kept  clear  of  other  riders  during  such 
classes.  The  presence  of  spectators  is  objectionable, 
particularly  where  there  is  a  class  of   young  girls. 


5-2  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

Granted  that  they  are  the  parents,  for  instance,  of 
one  or  two  of  the  pupils :  to  the  rest  they  are  stran- 
gers, who  cause  constraint,  as  the  teacher  is  obhged 
to  criticise,  correct,  and,  in  a  word,  instruct,  in  a 
loud  voice,  so  that  the  observation  made  to  one 
may  serve  as  a  suggestion  to  all. 

The  difference  of  progress  between  classes  and 
individual  pupils  is  so  great  that  one  may  calculate 
that,  after  one  hundred  private  lessons,  a  pupil  will 
not  ride  so  well  as  if  she  had  taken  fifty  lessons  in 
class.  In  a  class  she  is  obliged  to  keep  her  horse  at 
a  certain  distance  from  the  others,  and  in  his  own 
place,  and,  in  her  turn,  go  through  exercises  directed 
by  a  will  other  than  her  own,  while  the  constant 
repetition  of  principles  by  the  teacher  fixes  them  in 
her  memory.  On  the  other  hand,  the  private  pupil 
takes  her  time  to  make  her  horse  go  through  a  move- 
ment; and,  that  movement  once  understood,  there  is 
no  reason  for  the  repetition  of  the  explanations  which 
can  alone  make  the  theory  and  principle  of  riding 
familiar.  I  am  certainly  not  an  advocate  for  theory 
without  practice ',  but  I  insist  that  a  rider  must  know 
what  she  ought  to  do  before  she  can  do  it  really  well, 
as  all  good  results  in  riding  are  obtained  by  long 
practice,  based  on  a  rational  theory. 

The  teacher  should  choose  out  of  his  class  the 
four  most  skillful  pupils,  whose  horses  are  free  and 
regular  in  their  gaits,  to  serve  as  leaders,  one  at  the 
head  and  one  at  the  end  of  the  two  columns,  which 
should  be  drawn  up  on  the  long  sides  of  the  school, 


MOVEMENTS  IN  FILE. 


53 


each  rider  having  a  space  of  at  least  three  feet  be- 
tween the  head  of  her  horse  and  the  tail  of  the  one 
in  front  of  her,  the  heads  of  the  leaders'  horses  being 
about  six  feet  from  the  corner  of  the  school.  While 
the  columns  are  standing  still,  the  teacher  should 
explain  distinctly  the  difference  between  distance  and 
interval,  and  he  had  better  be  on  foot  at  the  end  of 
the  school,  facing  the  columns. 

By  "  distance  "  is  meant  the  space  between  the  tail 
of  one  horse  and  the  head  of  the  next  in  the  column. 

**  Interval  "  is  the  space  between  two  horses  who 
are  standing  or  going  forward  on  parallel  lines. 

All  movements  are  executed  singly  or  in  file:  in 
the  first  case  each  pupil  goes  through  the  movement, 
without  regard  to  the  others  ;  in  the  second,  the 
pupils  execute  the  movement  in  turn  after  the  leaders 
of  the  column. 

A  movement  in  file,  once  known,  may  be  repeated 
individually,  but  only  at  a  walk  in  the  beginning, 
in  order  to  insure  attention.  The  columns  should 
both  be  on  the  right  hand ;  consequently  the  head 
of  one  will  be  opposite  the  end  of  the  other  as 
they  are  drawn  up  on  their  respective  sides.  First 
order : 

I.  Prepaj^e  to  go  forward. — 2.   Go  forward. 

When  the  final  word  of  command  is  given,  the  pu- 
pils will  advance  simultaneously,  each  one  using  the 
same  effects  as  if  she  w^ere  alone,  and  being  careful 
to  preserve  the  correct  distance. 


54  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

The  two  leaders  should  so  regulate  the  gait  of 
their  horses  as  to  pass  the  opposite  corners  of  the 
school  at  the  same  moment,  and  this  gait  should  be 
uniform.  If  a  pupil  loses  her  distance,  she  should 
regain  it  by  making  her  horse  walk  faster;  but  she 
should  try  to  keep  her  place,  as  the  whole  column 
must  quicken  its  pace  when  she  does,  and  all  suffer 
from  the  carelessness  of  one. 

When  the  columns  are  on  the  short  sides  of  the 
school,  the  teacher  should  give  the  order  : 

I.  Prepare  to  halt  j 
and  when  they  are  on  the  long  side, 

2.  Halt. 

When  they  are  again  going  forward,  always  on 
the  right  hand,  the  order  should  be  given  : 
I.  Prepare  to  turn  to  the  right. — 2.   Turn  to  the  right. 

At  the  final  order  each  pupil  will  turn  to  the  right 
on  her  own  account,  and  according  to  the  rules  al- 
ready prescribed ;  at  the  end  of  this  movement  all 
will  find  themselves  on  parallel  lines,  and  about 
twelve  feet  apart ;  they  should  then  turn  the  head 
somewhat  to  the  right,  in  order  to  see  that  they  are 
on  the  same  line,  and  cross  the  width  of  the  school 
in  such  a  way  that  the  columns  will  meet  and  pass 
each  other  in  the  middle.  When  they  have  reached 
the  opposite  side,  they  will  turn  to  the  right  without 
further  order,  the  leaders  at  the  end  of  the  column 
being  now  at  its  head.  This  movement  should  never 
be  executed  except  at  a  walk. 


VOL  TING  IN  FILE. 


5S 


To  replace  the  columns  in  their  accustomed  order, 
the  teacher  should  have  this  movement  executed  a 
second  time.  When  the  columns  are  going  forward 
on  the  right  hand,  the  order  will  be  given  : 

I.  Prepare  to  volte  in  file. 

In  this  movement  the  same  principles  and  the 
same  means  are  used  as  in  a  private  lesson ;  the 
leaders,  however,  describe  a  larger  circle  proportion- 
ate to  the  length  of  their  columns,  and  at  the  end 
their  horses'  heads  should  be  about  three  feet  be- 
hind the  tails  of  the  last  horses  in  their  respective 
columns.  The  other  pupils  then,  in  turn,  execute 
the  movement  upon  the  same  ground  as  the  leader. 
The  leaders  having  moved  two  thirds  down  one  of 
the  long  sides,  the  teacher  will  order : 

2.    Volte  VI  file  ; 

and,  when  the  columns  are  again  going  forward  on 
the  right  hand, 

I.  Prepare  to  half -volte  m  file. 

The  leaders  turn  to  the  right,  describe  their  half- 
circle,  and  go  forward  on  a  diagonal  line  ending  just 
behind  the  last  rider  in  the  column  ;  once  there,  they 
turn  to  the  left  and  fall  into  line,  being  duly  followed 
by  each  pupil  over  the  same  ground. 

When  the  leaders  are  about  eighteen  feet  from 
the  corner  of  the  school,  the  teacher  will  order  : 

2.   Half -volte  in  file. 


56  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

The  next  order  should  be : 
I.  Prepare  for  the  reversed  half -volte  {71  file. 

The  leaders  must  execute  diagonals  proportional 
to  the  lengths  of  their  respective  columns,  in  such  a 
manner  as  will  enable  them  to  begin  their  half-circles 
when  about  thirty  feet  down  the  long  sides,  and 
thirty-five  or  forty  feet  before  the  turn  or  corner, 
followed  in  turn  by  the  other  pupils,  as  in  the  fore- 
going movements. 

As  soon  as  the  leaders  are  on  the  long  sides,  hav- 
ing passed  the  second  corners,  the  teacher  will  order : 

2.  Reversed  half -volte  171  file. 

The  columns  being  on  the  long  sides,  and  on  the 
right  hand,  the  next  order  should  be  : 

I.  Prepare  to  back. — 2.  Back. 

And,  to  execute  this  movement  correctly,  each 
pupil  will  make  her  horse  back  as  she  would  in  a 
private  lesson,  being  careful  to  keep  in  a  line  with 
her  companions. 

When  the  class  can  execute  these  movements 
correctly  at  a  walk,  the  teacher  will  allow  them  to 
be  practiced  at  a  trot,  insisting,  however,  that  the 
pupils  shall  stop  rising  as  soon  as  the  preparatory 
order  is  given,  not  to  begin  again  until  they  have 
returned  to  the  side  of  the  school  at  the  end  of  the 
movement.  When  there  is  a  full  class,  it  is  better 
not  to  allow  turns  to  the  right  or  left  to  be  attempted 
at  a  trot,  as  the  riders  may  strike  one  another's  knees 
in  crossing. 


VOL  TING  SINGLY. 


57 


When  these  movements  in  file,  at  the  walk  and 
the  trot,  have  given  the  pupils  the  habit  of  control- 
ling their  horses  with  decision  and  regularity,  the 
teacher  should  explain  to  them  the  difference  be- 
tween these  and  individual  movements.  The  col- 
umn being  at  a  walk,  and  on  the  right  hand,  the 
teacher  will  say  :. 

I.  Prepare  to  volte  singly. 

Each  pupil  leaves  the  line  at  the  same  moment 
as  the  others,  executes  a  circular  line  of  twelve  steps 
as  in  a  private  lesson,  and  takes  her  place  in  the  line 
again. 

2.    Volte  singly. 

Next  in  order  comes  : 

I .  Prepare  to  half -volte  singly. 

This  is  done  exactly  as  in  a  private  lesson,  the 
pupils  taking  care  to  do  it  in  time  with  one  another, 
in  order  to  reach  their  places  at  the  same  moment. 

2.  Half -volte  singly. 

I.  Prepare  for  the  reversed  half -volte  singly. 

The  pupils  leave  their  places  simultaneously  by 
a  diagonal  line,  and  return  to  the  same  track ;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  by  a  circular  line  of  six  steps. 

2.  Reversed  half -volte  singly. 

These  movements  are  here  given  on  the  right 
hand  ;  but  they  may,  of  course,  be  done  equally  well 
on  the  left  hand  by  reversing  the  terms. 

I  recommend  teachers  not  to  keep  their  pupils 


58  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

too  long  on  the  left  hand,  but  to  seize  that  oppor- 
tunity to  rectify  any  incorrect  positions  of  the  feet. 

When  the  class  can  execute  the  foregoing  move- 
ments correctly  at  the  walk  and  the  trot,  the  teacher 
may  explain  to  them  the  canter  or  gallop. 

A  horse  is  said  to  "  lead  "  at  a  canter  with  his 
right  foot  when  the  lateral  movement  of  his  right 
foot  is  more  marked  than  that  of  his  left.  This 
causes  a  reaction  from  left  to  right,  which  makes 
this  lead  easier  for  a  lady,  who  sits  on  the  left  side, 
than  that  of  the  left  foot,  where  the  reaction  is  from 
right  to  left.  When  a  horse  who  is  leading  with  his 
right  foot  turns  to  the  left,  he  must  change  his  lead, 
and  vice  versd. 

To  make  her  horse  lead  at  a  canter  with  his  right 
foot,  the  rider  must  put  her  left  leg  very  far  back  to 
act  in  opposition  with  her  whip,  which  should  make 
very  light  attacks,  incline  the  upper  part  of  her  body 
forward,  and  lift  her  hands,  without,  however,  draw- 
ing them  nearer  her  body.  When  the  horse  has 
obeyed,  she  will  resume  the  normal  position  for 
hands  and  body,  renewing  the  pressure  of  her  whip 
and  leg  from  time  to  time  to  keep  the  gait  regular. 
During  the  canter  or  gallop  the  right  foot  should  be 
held  well  back,  close  to  the  saddle,  without  rigidity, 
and  the  rider  should  sit  firm  in  her  saddle,  while  al- 
lowing the  upper  part  of  her  body  to  give  freely  to  the 
motion  of  the  horse,  in  order  to  neutralize  any  shock. 
To  change  his  lead  from  right  to  left  at  a  gallop,  the 
horse  pauses  for  an  imperceptible  space  of  time,  im- 


THE   GALLOP. 


59 


mediately  puts  his  left  hind  leg  in  front  of  his  right, 
and,  by  the  contraction  of  the  muscles  of  his  left  leg, 
projects  his  body  forward  to  the  left,  his  equilibrium 
being  again  disturbed,  but  in  a  new  direction ;  to 
compensate  which,  his  left  fore  leg  comes  at  the  first 
step  to  support  the  weight  by  putting  itself  before 
the  right,  which,  until  then,  has  been  carrying  it  all. 

It  requires  a  great  deal  of  tact,  the  result  of  long 
practice,  to  make  a  horse  change  his  feet  when  he  is 
galloping  in  a  straight  line,  and  I  therefore  recom- 
mend teachers  to  proceed  with  their  classes  in  the 
following  manner : 

The  column  being  at  a  gallop,  each  pupil  should 
execute  a  half-volte  in  file,  turning  at  the  gallop,  com- 
ing down  to  a  trot  on  the  diagonal,  and  resuming  the 
gallop  when  she  is  on  the  opposite  track  and  on  the 
other  hand.  As  the  horse  is  galloping  with  his  right 
foot,  the  rider  will  calculate  the  movement  of  his 
right  shoulder  by  watching  it  without  lowering  her 
head,  and,  when  she  sees  that  shoulder  move  to  put 
down  the  right  leg,  she  must  instantly  change  her 
effects  of  leg  and  whip,  and  lift  her  hands,  the  right 
rather  more  than  the  left,  to  support  the  horse  while 
he  pauses  with  his  right  shoulder,  while  an  energetic 
action  of  her  leg  will  make  him  bring  his  left  hind 
leg  under  him  and  put  it  in  front  of  the  right;  and,  if 
she  holds  her  left  hand  low,  the  left  fore  leg  will  be 
free  to  take  its  place  in  front  of  the  right.  Care 
must  be  taken  not  to  throw  a  horse  while  he  is 
changing  his  feet,  that   is  to  say,  he  must  not  be 


6o  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

turned  suddenly  to  the  right  in  order  to  be  jerked 
suddenly  to  the  left ;  and,  during  the  short  time  which 
it  takes  him  to  change  his  feet,  the  rider  should  sit 
close  in  order  not  to  disturb  him  by  a  shifting 
weight. 

When  the  pupils  can  make  their  horses  change 
their  feet  by  changing  their  gait,  they  should  be  made 
to  execute  half-voltes  and  reversed  half-voltes  in  file, 
at  a  gallop,  without  changing  to  a  trot ;  and,  when 
they  can  do  this,  they  may  execute  them  individually, 
according  to  the  rules  already  prescribed. 

I  must  again  recommend  great  prudence,  that 
accidents  may  be  avoided,  and  plenty  of  pauses  for 
rest,  that  the  horses  may  not  become  discouraged. 

A  lady's  equestrian  education  can  not  be  con- 
sidered complete  until  she  can  make  her  horse  leap 
any  obstacle  which  is  reasonable,  considering  her  age 
and  experience  and  the  capacity  of  her  horse.  When 
her  seat  has  become  flexible  and  firm  at  the  walk, 
trot,  and  gallop,  when  she  is  mistress  of  her  horse  in 
changes  of  direction,  of  gait,  and  of  feet,  the  teacher 
should  allow  her  to  leap  a  hurdle  not  less  than  two 
nor  more  than  three  feet  high. 

The  class  being  formed  into  a  single  column, 
close  together,  each  rider  should  make  an  individual 
turn  to  the  right  on  the  long  side  of  the  school  oppo- 
site where  the  hurdle  is  to  be  placed,  as  she  can  thus 
see  for  herself  any  faults  which  may  be  committed  by 
her  companions.  Leaping  should  be  practiced  by  the 
pupils  one  at  a  time,  at  a  walk,  a  trot,  and,  finally,  a 


LEAPING.  61 

gallop.  The  class  being  drawn  up  in  line,  the  teacher 
will  proceed  to  explain  to  them  the  animal  mechanism 
of  the  leap. 

If  a  horse  is  at  a  walk,  and  wishes  to  jump  over 
an  obstacle,  he  draws  his  hind  legs  under  him  to 
support  his  weight,  pauses  for  an  instant,  then  lifts 
his  fore  legs  from  the  ground,  thus  throwing  all  his 
weight  upon  his  hind  legs;  whereupon,  by  a  power- 
ful contraction  of  the  muscles,  these  latter  project 
his  body  forward  and  upward,  and  it  describes  a 
curve  through  the  air,  alighting  on  the  fore  legs, 
braced  to  receive  the  shock,  the  hind  legs  dropping 
on  the  ground  in  their  turn,  only  to  contract  again 
sufficiently  to  form  a  forward  motion. 

The  pause  before  a  leap  is  more  noticeable  at  a 
walk  than  at  a  trot,  and  least  of  all  at  a  gallop.  The 
most  favorable  gait  for  leaping  is  what  is  known  as 
a  hand-gallop,  which  is  an  intermediate  pace  be- 
tween a  riding-school  canter  and  the  full  gallop  of 
the  race-track,  as,  while  he  is  at  this  gait,  the  horse 
is  impelled  forward  with  his  hind  legs  constantly 
under  him. 

In  order  to  aid  and  support  her  horse  at  a  leap, 
the  rider  should  bring  him  straight  up  to  the  obstacle 
at  a  slow  and  regular  gait,  and  should  put  her  own 
right  foot  very  far  back,  that  she  may  make  her  seat 
as  firm  as  possible ;  at  the  moment  when  he  pauses 
she  should  lean  back  and  lift  both  of  her  hands  a 
little,  in  order  to  enter  into  the  slight  approach  to 
rearing,  without  encouraging  it  too  much ;  then,  as 


62  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

soon  as  she  feels  the  horse  project  himself  forward, 
she  must  give  her  hand,  straighten  herself,  and  lean 
back  as  the  horse  goes  over,  lifting  her  wrists  with 
energy  as  soon  as  he  touches  the  ground.  When  he 
has  begun  the  motion  of  rearing,  a  simultaneous  action 
of  the  whip  and  leg  will  help  to  determine  his  leap. 

It  may  be  noticed  that  I  use  the  words  "  aid  " 
and  "support"  instead  of  '^ make*'  and  also  that  I 
indicate  first  the  positions  of  the  body,  next  of  the 
hands,  and  last  the  effects  of  the  leg  and  whip,  to 
the  end  that  the  pupil  may  not  be  confused  as  to 
the  very  short  time  in  which  these  latter  may  be 
rightly  used.  Before  leaping,  the  teacher  may  allow 
the  pupils  to  practice  their  positions  in  the  following 
manner: 

He  should  make  them  count  one,  leaning  the 
body  and  drawing  the  wrists  backward  ;  two,  the 
body  and  wrists  forward  ;  three,  the  body  and  wrists 
backward  again.  This  series,  slow  in  the  beginning, 
may  be  quickened  little  by  little  until  it  is  as  near  as 
may  be  to  the  speed  necessary  in  these  movements 
during  the  short  duration  of  a  leap. 

When  the  pupils  have  gone  through  these  mo- 
tions intelligently,  the  teacher  will  take  his  place  in 
front  and  to  the  right  of  the  hurdle,  facing  the  wall. 
The  hurdle  should  always  be  placed  in  the  middle 
of  one  of  the  long  sides;  and  ladies  prefer  to  jump 
on  the  left  hand,  in  order  to  avoid  touching  the  wall 
with  their  legs  if  the  horse  should  go  too  near  it. 
Notwithstanding  this,  if  ^the  horses  are  free  jumpers, 


LEAPING.  63, 

and  the  school  well  arranged,  I  prefer  the  right 
hand,  because  a  fall  to  the  right  is  then  clear  of  the 
wall.  This  is  a  case  in  which  an  instructor  must 
depend  upon  his  own  judgment. 

The  teacher  stands  as  I  have  indicated  above, 
holding  a  whip  with  a  long  lash,  not  to  strike  the 
horses,  but  to  prevent  refusals. 

One  after  another  the  pupils  should  leave  the 
line,  and  advance  at  a  walk,  until  they  get  on 
the  side  of  the  school  where  the  hurdle  has  been 
placed,  when  they  will  canter,  but  without  any  ex- 
citement ;  and  they  will  find  it  useful  to  count  one, 
two,  three,  until  the  three  movements  of  the  body 
have  become  mechanical  from  practice. 

During  the  course  of  the  more  advanced  lessons, 
it  will  still  be  useful  to  practice  some  flexions,  in  or- 
der to  be  sure  that  pupils  keep  supple.  They  should 
also  learn  to  take  the  foot  out  of  the  stirrup  at  any 
gait,  and  replace  it  without  stopping,  and  to  rise  at 
the  trot,  the  foot  being  out  of  the  stirrup,  which  is 
not  so  difficult  as  it  appears.  They  should  also  be 
drilled  to  walk,  trot,  or  gallop  by  twos  and  threes,  to 
learn  to  accommodate  their  horses'  gait  to  that  of  a 
companion.  The  teacher  should  be  sure  that,  at  the 
end  of  their  lessons,  the  pupils  can  trot  or  gallop  for 
at  least  a  mile  without  stopping;  and,  to  gain  this 
result,  he  must  proceed  by  degrees,  with  the  object 
of  developing  the  lungs  and  giving  a  freer  respira- 
tion. Nothing  is  more  ridiculous  than  to  see  a 
rider,  who  has  proposed  a  trot  or  canter  to  her  com- 


64  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN. 

panion,  obliged  to  pull  up  after  a  few  steps,  puffing 
and  panting  for  breath.  She  is  apt  to  ruin  her  own 
horse  ;  and  gentlemen  who  have  spirited  animals  are 
likely  to  avoid  riding  with  her.  Except  in  the  pre- 
scribed effects  of  the  whip  and  leg,  there  is  no  defi- 
nite position  in  which  a  lady  is  obliged  to  hold  her 
whip,  and  she  should  learn  to '  carry  it  as  suits  her 
best.  She  should  be  able  to  arrange  her  skirt  while 
at  a  walk,  without  assistance,  and  also  to  shorten  or 
lengthen  her  stirrup  by  the  strap  on  the  right  side  of 
the  saddle,  without  taking  her  foot  out. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  the  lessons  the  teach- 
er should  suppress  all  the  little  chirpings  and  clack- 
ings  of  the  tongue,  which,  however  useful  they  may 
be  to  a  coachman  or  a  horse-trainer,  are  out  of 
place  in  the  mouth  of  a  lady.  I  was  once  invited 
to  accompany  a  lady  in  Central  Park,  in  New  York ; 
and,  as  I  had  been  told  that  she  rode  very  well,  I 
did  not  hesitate  to  ride  General,  a  noble  animal, 
whose  education  in  the  haute  dcole  I  was  just  fin- 
ishing. We  started.  She  managed  her  horse  with 
her  tongue  as  an  effect  on  the  right  side,  instead 
of  using  her  whip.  The  consequence  was,  that 
my  horse,  hearing  these  appeals,  and  not  knowing 
whether  they  were  meant  for  him  or  not,  remained 
at  ikiQ  passage  all  the  way  from  the  gate  to  the  reser- 
voir, where  I  took  it  upon  myself  to  beg  her  to  do 
as  she  chose  with  her  own  horse,  but  to  allow  mine 
to  be  under  my  own  control. 

I  recommend  not  giving  dainties  to  horses  be- 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR    THE  ROAD.  65 

fore  mounting,  unless  they  are  allowed  time  to  eat 
them.  If  a  horse  has  a  piece  of  sugar  or  apple  in  his 
mouth,  the  bit  will  be  worse  than  useless ;  it  will 
irritate  him,  as  he  can  not  open  his  mouth  without 
dropping  the  delicacy,  and  he  can  not  swallow  it  if 
he  gives  his  head  properly. 

I  have  noticed  that  most  gentlemen  riding  with 
ladies  place  themselves  on  the  right  side ;  but  this 
seems  to  me  a  mistake,  where  the  rule  of  the  road  is 
to  pass  to  the  right,  because  it  is  the  lady  who  pro- 
tects her  companion,  and  not  he  who  shields  her. 
Besides,  he  takes  the  place  where  his  horse  is  most 
likely  to  be  quiet,  as  no  one  has  the  right  to  pass 
inside  him.  Still  further,  should  the  lady's  horse 
become  frightened,  he  will  be  seriously  embarrassed 
on  the  right  side,  with  the  reins  in  his  left  hand; 
and,  if  she  should  fall,  what  can  he  do.**  He  can 
only  transfer  his  reins  to  the  right  hand,  and  en- 
deavor to  push  her  into  her  saddle  with  his  left; 
and,  if  they  are  going  fast,  this  will  not  be  easy. 

I  may  say  here,  that  in  ninety-five  cases  out  of 
a  hundred  the  lady  falls  to  the  right.  If  the  gentle- 
man is  riding  on  her  left,  he  gives  up  to  her  the  best 
place,  and  protects  her  legs ;  she  can  use  her  whip 
more  freely;  he  has  the  use  of  his  right  hand  to 
stop  or  quiet  her  horse ;  he  can  arrange  her  skirt, 
should  she  need  his  help ;  if  she  falls,  he  has  but  to 
seize  her  left  arm,  and  draw  her  toward  him,  cal- 
culating the  strength  which  he  employs,  and  he  rnay 
even  lift  her  from  the  saddle. 
6 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Resistances  of  the  horse. 

In  all  the  best  riding-schools  of  Europe  two  posts 
are  firmly  fixed  into  the  ground,  parallel  with  and 
about  twenty  paces  from  one  of  the  short  sides  of 
the  school.  These  are  called  pillars,  and  between 
them  is  fastened  a  horse  who  is  trained  to  rear  or  to 
kick  at  command,  in  order  that  the  teacher  may  ex- 
plain to  his  pupils  what  they  must  do  when  they 
encounter  one  or  other  of  these  resistances.  These 
pillars  are  almost  unknown  in  riding-schools  in  this 
country,  and  the  reason  of  their  absence  may  be 
found,  I  think,  in  the  moral  qualities  of  the  Ameri- 
can horse,  which  are  really  astonishing  when  looked 
at  from  the  point  of  view  of  animal  character. 

A  teacher  should,  however,  give  his  pupils  some 
instructions  about  the  most  common  tricks  or  vices 
of  the  horse,  which  are  usually  only  defensive  action 
on  his  part.  Before  any  active  form  of  resistance, 
the  horse  always  makes  a  well-marked  pause ;  for 
instance,  in  order  to  rear,  he  stops  his  motion  for- 
ward, draws  his  hind  legs  under  him,  throws  his 
weight  on  them,  and  lifts   his   fore   legs   from  the 


RESISTANCES  OF   THE  HORSE.     .        67 

ground,  holding  his  head  high.  When  he  is  almost 
upright  on  his  hind  legs,  he  stands  for  a  longer  or 
shorter  time,  moving  his  fore  feet  as  if  beating  the 
air,  and  then  either  comes  down  to  earth  again  or 
falls  backward,  which  is  acknowledged  to  be  the 
most  dangerous  thing  which  can  happen  on  horse- 
back. If  the  rider  feels  that  her  horse  is  on  the 
point  of  going  over  with  her,  she  must  instantly  slip 
her  foot  out  of  the  stirrup,  loosen  the  hold  of  her  leg 
on  the  pommel,  and  lean  as  far  to  the  right  as  she 
can,  turning  her  body  to  the  left  in  order  to  fall  on 
the  right  of  the  horse,  who  almost  always  falls  to  the 
left,  and,  as  soon  as  she  is  on  the  ground,  she  must 
scramble  away  from  her  horse  as  quickly  as  possible. 

The  best  way  of  preventing  a  horse  from  rearing 
is  not  allowing  him  to  stop  ;  and,  if  it  should  be  too 
late  or.  too  difficult  to  manage  this,  all  effects  of  the 
hands  should  stop  at  once,  and  the  rider  should 
attack  his  right  flank  with  her  whip  vigorously.  If 
a  horse  rears  habitually,  he  should  be  got  rid  of. 

In  order  to  kick,  on  the  contrary,  the  horse  braces 
himself  with  his  fore  legs,  lifting  his  hind  quarters  by 
a  contraction  of  his  hind  legs ;  and,  when  his  croup 
is  in  the  air,  he  kicks  as  hard  as  he  can  with  his  hind 
legs,  and  brings  them  suddenly  to  the  ground  again, 
holding  his  head  low  and  sticking  out  his  neck  mean- 
while. 

An  inexperienced  rider  may  be  frightened  by  the 
shock  of  this  movement,  which  is  very  disagreeable, 
besides  being  dangerous  to  people  behind ;  but,  with 


68  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN, 

calm  presence  of  mind  and  a  little  energy,  this  trick 
may  be  fought  without  too  much  annoyance.  In 
this  case  also  the  great  thing  is  to  hinder  the  horse 
from  stopping,  by  keeping  his  head  up ;  and,  if,  in 
spite  of  the  rider,  he  gets  it  down  and  his  legs  braced 
in  front  of  him,  she  should  lean  very  far  back  and 
strike  one  or  two  vigorous  blows  with  her  whip  on 
the  lower  part  of  the  neck  where  it  joins  the  chest, 
trying  at  the  same  time  to  lift  the  head  with  the  reins. 

Some  teachers  recommend  using  the  whip  on  the 
flank,  as  in  rearing,  and  I  usually  do  this  myself; 
but  I  have  always  noticed  that  the  horse  kicks  again 
at  least  once  while  going  forward;  so  I  do  not  recom- 
mend this  for  a  lady. 

In  bucking,  the  horse  puts  his  head  down,  stiffens 
his  fore  legs,  draws  his  hind  legs  somewhat  under 
him,  and  jumps  forward,  coming  down  on  all  four 
feet  at  once,  and  jumping  again  almost  immediately. 

Without  being  particularly  dangerous,  this  vice  is 
very  unpleasant,  as  it  jars  the  rider  terribly.  To  neu- 
tralize the  shock,  therefore,  as  much  as  she  can,  she 
must  sit  very  far  back,  lean  her  body  back,  lift  her 
hands  vigorously,  and  try  to  make  her  horse  go  for- 
ward and  slightly  to  the  right. 

When  a  horse  refuses  to  slacken  his  pace,  or  to 
stop  when  his  rider  wishes  it,  he  is  running  away 
with  her,  and  he  does  this  progressively — that  is,  if  he 
is  at  a  walk  he  will  not  stop  when  he  feels  the  bit,  but 
shakes  his  head,  quickens  his  pace  to  a  trot,  throws 
his  head  into  the  air,  or  holds  it  down,  bearing  against 


RESISTANCES  OF   THE  HORSE.  69 

the  bit,  breaks  into  a  gallop,  and  goes  faster  and 
faster  until  he  is  at  full  speed ;  and,  once  arrived  at 
this  point,  he  is  quite  capable  of  running  straight  into 
a  wall  or  jumping  over  a  precipice. 

Some  high  authorities  maintain  that  this  state  of 
the  horse  is  one  of  temporary  insanity ;  and  this  the- 
ory is  admissible  in  certain  cases  where,  when  the  ani- 
mal is  stopped,  the  nostrils  are  found  to  be  very  red 
and  the  eyes  bloodshot ;  but,  in  most  cases,  horses 
run  away  through  sudden  fright,  or  from  fear  of  pun- 
ishment, or  because  they  are  in  pain  from  one  cause 
or  another.  When  a  horse  is  subject  to  this  fault, 
his  rider  should  give  him  to  a  man,  either  a  skilled 
amateur  or  a  professional  rider,  as  I  have  seen  very 
few  ladies  who  could  undertake  the  proper  treatment 
without  danger. 

Such  a  horse  being  put  into  my  hands  for  train- 
ing, I  take  him  to  some  place  where  the  footing  is 
good  and  where  he  can  have  plenty  of  space,  which 
means  plenty  of  time  for  me ;  and,  once  there,  I  pro- 
voke him  to  run  away,  in  order  that  I  may  find  out 
why  he  does  so.  If  he  fights  against  my  hand,  shuts 
his  mouth,  or  throws  his  head  in  the  air,  as  soon  as  he 
has  stopped  I  carefully  examine  his  mouth,  his  throat, 
his  breathing,  his  sight,  his  loins,  and  his  houghs. 
Sometimes  the  mouth  is  without  saliva,  the  lips  are 
rough  and  irritated,  the  bars  are  dry,  bruised,  and 
even  cut ;  and  in  that  case  I  try  to  see  whether  the 
bad  habit  does  not  come  from  severe  bitting,  or  too 
tight  a  curb-chain,  or  perhaps  the  teeth  may  be  in 


yo  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN, 

bad  order.  A  few  flexions  of  the  jaw  and  neck  will 
tell  me  at  once  if  the  mouth  is  the  cause  of  the 
trouble ;  but  I  must  make  sure  that  this  bad  state  of 
the  mouth  is  the  cause,  and  not  the  consequence. 

The  sight  of  a  horse  is  often  defective ;  the  sun 
in  his  eyes  dazzles  and  frightens  him ;  or  else  a  de- 
fective lens  makes  objects  appear  larger  to  him  than 
they  really  are ;  or  he  may  be  near-sighted,  and  con- 
sequently nervous  about  what  he  can  not  see  ;  and 
a  moving  bird,  or  a  bit  of  floating  paper,  is  enough 
to  make  him  bolt. 

Sometimes  the  throat  is  sore  inside,  and  then  the 
horse  suffers  from  the  effect  of  the  bit  on  the  ex- 
tremity of  his  neck  when  he  gives  his  head.  Bolting 
is  often  caused  by  suffering  in  some  internal  organ; 
and  in  that  case  the  breathing  is  apt  to  be  op- 
pressed. 

But  in -seven  cases  out  of  ten  the  cause  of  a 
horse's  running  away  is  to  be  found  in  his  hind 
quarters.  The  loins  are  too  long,  weak,  and  ill-at- 
tached, so  that  when  he  carries  a  heavy  weight  the 
spinal  column  feels  an  insupportable  pain.  What 
man  would  not  become  mad  if  he  were  forced  to 
walk,  trot,  and  gallop,  carrying  a  weight  which  caused 
him  frightful  suffering .?  The  remembrance  of  an 
old  wound  made  by  the  saddle  is  sometimes  enough 
to  cause  a  nervous  and  sensitive  animal  to  bolt.  The 
legs  are  sometimes  beginning  to  throw  out  curbs  or 
spavins,  or  they  may  be  too  straight  and  narrow, 
lacking  the  strength  necessary  to  carry  the  horse  at 


RESISTANCES  OF   THE  HORSE.  71 

a  regular  gait ;  so  he  suffers,  loses  his  head,  and  runs 
away. 

We  will  suppose  the  horse  to  be  well-propor- 
tioned, with  his  sight  and  organs  in  a  normal  con- 
dition, his  mouth  only  being  hurt  as  a  consequence, 
not  as  a  cause.  I  change  the  bit,  and  substitute  an 
easier  one,  treating  the  mouth  meanwhile  with  salt, 
or  alum,  or  marsh-mallow ;  and  yet  my  horse  still  runs 
away.  In  that  case  it  is  from  one  of  two  reasons  : 
either  it  is  from  memory  and  as  a  habit,  or  else  it  is 
the  result  of  ill-temper.  If  the  former,  I  take  him 
to  some  spot  where  I  can  have  plenty  of  space  and 
time,  preferably  a  sea-beach  with  soft  sand,  or  a  large 
ploughed  field;  and  there  I  let  him  go,  stopping  when 
he  stops,  and  then  making  him  go  on  again,  and  in 
this  way  he  soon  learns  that  submission  is  the  easiest 
way  for  him.  If  he  should  be  really  ill-tempered, 
I  would  mount  him  in  the  same  place  with  sharp 
spurs  and  a  good  whip,  and  before  long  his  moral 
condition  would  be  much  more  satisfactory. 

But  often  a  horse  takes  fright  and  runs  away  when 
one  least  expects  it.  Allow  me  to  say  that  nothing 
which  a  horse  can  do  should  ever  be  unexpected. 
On  horseback  one  should  be  ready  for  emergencies; 
and  the  best  way  to  avoid  them  is  to  prevent  the 
horse  from  a  dangerous  initiative.  Besides,  the 
horse  does  not  get  to  his  full  speed  at  once  ;  and,  if 
the  rider  keeps  calm,  she  will  probably  be  able  to 
master  him  before  he  reaches  it.  But,  if,  in  spite  of 
herself,  her  horse  is  running  at  a  frightful  pace,  what 


72        hand-book  for  horsewomen. 

should  be  done  ?  In  the  first  place,  she  must  try  to  see 
that  he  does  not  slip  and  fall ;  and,  in  any  case,  she 
should  take  her  foot  out  of  the  stirrup,  let  her  whip 
drop  if  necessary,  choose  at  once  a  straight  line,  if 
that  be  possible,  and  give  to  her  horse  with  hands 
and  leg,  calming  him  with  the  voice,  and  speaking 
loud,  in  order  that  it  may  reach  his  ear.  She  should 
endeavor  to  remain  calm,  and  to  take  long  breaths ; 
then,  when  his  first  rush  is  over,  she  should  lift  her 
wrists,  holding  the  reins  short,  lean  very  far  back, 
and  saw  his  mouth  vigorously  with  the  bridle,  two 
reins  being  in  either  hand.  "  Sawing  "  is  the  suc- 
cessive action  of  the  two  hands  acting  separately 
on  the  mouth  of  the  horse,  and,  by  pulling  his  head 
from  side  to  side,  it  throws  him  out  of  his  stride  and 
checks  his  speed.  I  can  not  say  too  often  that  it  is 
easier  to  prevent  a  horse  from  running  away  than  it 
is  to  stop  him  when  he  is  once  fairly  off. 

It  would  be  very  difficult  to  foresee  all  the  pos- 
sible defensive  actions  of  the  horse  and  the  means 
of  counteracting  them  ;  but,  as  the  rider  gains  expe- 
rience, she  will  get  to  recognize  these  actions  from 
the  outset,  and  counteract  them  so  naturally  that 
she  will  scarcely  think  about  it.  To  a  good  rider 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  restive  horse.  The  ani- 
mal either  knows  what  to  do,  or  he  does  not.  If  he 
knows,  the  rider,  by  the  power  of  her  effects,  forces 
the  horse  to  obey ;  if  he  does  not  know,  the  rider 
trains  him.  If  a  horse  resists,  there  is  alv/ays  a 
cause;   and  that  cause  should  be  sought  and  de- 


RESISTANCES  OF   THE  HORSE.  73 

stroyed,  after  which  the  horse  will  ask  no  better  than 
to  behave  himself. 

If  a  horse  fidgets  and  frets  to  get  back  to  the 
stable  (which  is  a  common  and  annoying  trick),  he 
should  be  turned  round  and  walked  for  a  moment 
or  two  in  an  opposite  direction,  away  from  home, 
and  in  a  fortnight  he  will  have  lost  the  bad  habit. 

Horses  often  have  a  trick  of  fighting  the  hand  by 
running  out  their  heads  and  trying  to  pull  the  reins 
through  the  fingers  of  their  riders.  This  comes  from 
stiffness  in  the  hind  quarters,  and  will  stop  as  soon 
as  the  horse  has  been  taught,  by  progressive  flexions, 
to  keep  his  hind  legs  under  him. 

A  timid  horse  may  always  be  reassured  and  quieted 
by  a  persevering  rider,  provided  his  sight  is  not  bad ; 
and  he  should  never  be  punished  for  shying,  as  that 
comes  from  fright ;  he  should  be  allowed  time  to  get 
used  to  the  sight  or  sound  of  a  terrifying  object,  and, 
when  he  is  convinced  that  it  will  not  hurt  him,  he 
will  disregard  it  in  future,  as,  although  timid,  he  is 
not  a  coward.  For  instance :  if  a  horse  shies  at  a 
gnarled  stump  in  a  country  lane,  his  rider  should 
stop  and  let  him  come  slowly  up  to  it,  which  he  will 
do  with  every  appearance  of  fear.  She  should  cheer 
him  with  her  voice,  and  caress  him  with  her  hand ; 
and,  when  once  he  has  come  near  enough  to  smell 
the  dreaded  shape,  he  will  give  a  contemptuous  sniff, 
and  never  notice  it  after. 

If  a  horse  should  fall  with  his  rider,  she  should 
at  once  slip  her  foot  out  of  the  stirrup,  lift  her  right 


74  HAND-BOOK  FOR  HORSEWOMEN, 

leg  over  the  pommel,  and  turn  her  body  quickly  to 
the  left.  If  the  horse  falls  to  the  right,  she  will  fall 
on  him,  which  will  deaden  the  shock,  and,  as  his  legs 
will  be  on  the  left,  she  can  get  away  from  his  feet 
easily ;  if  he  falls  to  the  left,  she  must  try  to  let  her 
head  fall  to  the  right,  and,  if  she  has  time,  she  will 
attempt  to  fall  to  the  left,  on  her  knees,  and  must 
get  away  from  the  horse  on  her  hands  and  knees 
with  all  speed. 

If  she  should  be  thrown  from  her  saddle,  she 
must  not  stiffen  herself,  and  must  keep  her  head  as 
high  as  possible. 

CONCLUSION. 

Before  closing  this  slight  treatise,  I  \vould  most 
respectfully  say  a  parting  word  to  the  ladies  for 
whose  use  I  have  prepared  it. 

The  principle  of  the  proper  control  of  a  horse  by 
a  lady  may  be  thus  roughly  summed  up  :  Keep  him 
well  under  your  control,  but  also  keep  him  going 
forward;  carry  him  forward  with  the  pressure  of 
your  left  leg  and  with  the  whip,  which  must  take 
the  place  of  the  right  leg.  Never  let  a  horse  take  a 
step  at  his  own  will ;  and,  as  soon  as  he  shows  the  first 
sign  of  resistance,  try  to  counteract  it.  Great  care 
and  tact  must  be  used  to  avoid  sudden  changes  of 
gait,  which  irritate  a  horse  by  throwing  him  off  his 
balance  and  measure ;  and  he  should  never  be  teased 
with  the  whip  and  spur  in  order  that  he  may  prance 
and  fidget,  for  such  foolishness  on  horseback  proves 


CONCL  USION. 


75 


nothing,  and  is  only  fit  to  amuse  ignorant  spec- 
tators. 

Be  prudent ;  accidents  always  happen  too  soon. 
Be  calm,  if  you  wish  your  horse  to  be  so.  Be  just, 
and  he  will  submit  to  your  will.  Remember  that,  in 
riding,  the  greatest  beauty  consists  in  being  simple 
in  your  means  of- control ;  do  not  appear  to  be  always 
occupied  with  your  horse,  for  you  and  he  should 
seem  to  have  the  same  will. 

Do  not  read  or  study  one  method  only ;  there  is 
good  to  be  found  in  all. 


THE    END. 


Hygiene  for  Girls. 

By  IREN-ffiUS  P.  DAVIS,  M.  D. 


18mo.    Cloth,  $1.25. 


"  Many  a  woman  whose  childhood  was  bright  with  promise  endures 
an  after-life  of  misery  because,  through  a  false  delicacy,  she  remained 
ignorant  of  her  physical  nature  and  requirements,  although  on  all  other 
subjects  she  may  be  well-informed  ;  and  so  at  length  she  goes  to  her 
grave  mourning  the  hard  fate  that  has  made  existence  a  burden,  and 
perhaps  wondering  to  what  end  she  was  born,  when  a  little  knowledge 
at  the  proper  time  would  have  shown  her  how  to  easily  avoid  those 
evils  that  have  made  her  life  a  wretched  failure."— i'>om  Introduction. 

"  A  very  useful  book  for  parents  who  have  daughters  is  '  Hygiene 
for  Girls,'  bylrenseusP.  Davis,  M.  D.,  publishedby  D.  Appleton&  Co. 
And  it  is  just  the  book  for  an  intelligent,  well-instructed  girl  to  read 
with  care.  It  is  not  a  text-book,  nor  does  it  bristle  with  technical 
terms.  But  it  tells  in  simple  language  just  what  girls  should  do  and 
not  to  do  to  preserve  the  health  and  strength,  to  realize  the  joys,  and 
prepare  for  the  duties  of  a  woman's  lot.  It  is  written  with  a  delicacy, 
too,  which  a  mother  could  hardly  surpass  in  talking  with  her  daugh- 
ter."—CAmiiaw  at  Work. 

*'If  the  reader  is  a  father,  and  hae  a  daughter  of  suitable  age,  let 
him  place  this  volume  in  her  hands  with  an  earnest  and  affectionate 
charge  to  read  it  through  deliberately,  with  much  thought  and  eelf-ex- 
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46.  COMEDIES  FOR  A.MA.TEUR  ACTDTG.  Edited,  with  a  Prefatory 
Note  on  Private  Theatricals,  by  J.  Bbandeb  Matthews.  Paper, 
30  cts. 

4T.  VIVIAN  THE  BEAUTY.  By  Mrs.  AsNrE  Edwaeds.  Paper,  30 
cts. ;  cloth,  60  cts. 

43.  GEE  AT  SINGEES :  Faustina  Bordoni  to  Henrietta  Sontag.  Paper, 
30  cts. ;  cloth,  60  cts. 

49.  A  STROKE  OF  DIPLOMACY.  From  the  French  of  Victor  Chee- 
BtTLiEZ.    Paper,  20  cts. 

60.  LOED  MACAULAY:  His  Life— his  Writings.  By  Chaeles  H. 
Jones.    Paper,  30  cts. ;  cloth,  60  cts. 

51.  THE    RETURN    OF    THE    PRINCESS.     By  Jacques  Vincent. 

Paper,  25  cts. 

52.  A  SHORT  LIFE  OF  CHARLES  DICKENS.    With  Selections  from 

his  Letters,     By  Chaeles  H.  Jones.     Paper,  35  cts.  ;   cloth, 
60  cts. 

53.  STRAY  MOMENTS  WITH  THACKERAY.     His  Humor,  Satire, 

and  Characters.    By  William  H.  Eideing.    Paper,  30  cts. ;  cloth, 
60  cts. 

54.  DR.  HEIDENHOFF'S  PROCESS.    By  Edwaed  Bellamy.    Paper, 

25  cts. 

55, 56.  SECOND  THOUGHTS.  By  Ehoda  BsorrGHTON.  Vols  I  and  II. 
Paper,  25  cts.  each. 

57.  TWO  RUSSIAN  IDYLS.    Marcella,  Esfira.    Paper,  30  cts. 

58.  STRANGE  STORIES.    By  Eeckmann-Chatkian.    Paper,  30  cts. 

59.  LITTLE  COMEDIES.    By  Julian  Stcbgis.    Paper,  30  cts. 

60.  FRENCH  MEN  OF  LETTERS.    By  Maueice  Maueis  (Marquis  di 

Calenzano).    Paper,  85  cts. 

61.  A  SHORT    LIFE    OF    WILLIAM   EWAET    GLADSTONE.     By 

Chaeles  H.  Jones.    Paper,  35  cts. 

62.  THE  FOEESTEES.    By  Berthold  Atjerbach.    Paper,  50  cts. 

63.  POVEEINA.    An  Italian  Story.     Paper,  30  cts. 

64.  MASHALLAH!    A  Flight  into  Egj-pt.    By  Chaeles  Waeren  Stod- 

DAED.    Paper,  30  cts. 

65.  ALL  ALONE.    A  Story.     By  Andee  Thetteiet.    Paper,  25  cts. 

66.  GREAT  SINGERS.    Second  Series.    Malibran  to  Titiens.    By  Geoeqb 

T.  Ferris. 

67.  LADY  CLARA  DE  VERE.    By  Feiedbich  SprELHAGEN.    25  cts. 
63.  LOUKIS  LARAS.     A  Story  of  the  Greek  War  for  Independence. 

From  the  Modern  Greek  of  D.  Bikelas.    30  cts. 

69.  GREAT  VIOLINISTS    AND   PIANISTS.     Corelli  to  Liszt.     By 

George  T.  Ferris.    40  cts. ;  cloth,  60  cts. 

70.  RALPH  WALDO  EMERSON  t  Poet  and  Philosopher.   40  eta. ;  cloth, 

75  cts. 


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